/b' 


^ 


l.TBR^HY 

OK 

TIIK 

Tlir 

<^1  ogica 

1    Seininary, 

Catte, 
Shelf, 

PRINCETON^    N.  J 
.y^6§._.....Sect,o. 

1 

1            liookt 

V.  1 

...No. 

en 


!'• 


-  /lJ 


,  f^:.,  ^  7%c 


/"a 


^  ^  <^  r  ^^4^  ^<_  cc 


^^ 


Z 


^*-«-4/' 


/^ 


z^y^  y^y  a/^<^ 


cyo^/^^ 


Srct.  /f Z./ 


^^ 


^2    7  /  <f^ 


X 


THE  CHRISTIAN 

ENTIRELY  THE  PROPERTY  OF  CHRIST,  IN  LIFE 

AND  DEATH  s 

EXHIBITED  IN  FIFTY-THREE 

SERMONS 

Ojn'  the 

HEIDELBERGH  CATECHISM 


WHEREIN    THE    DOCTRINE    OF    FAITH,     RECEIVED     IN     THE     RE- 
FORMED   CHURCH,    IS     DEFENDED     AGAINST      THE     PRINCIPAL 
OPPONENTS,     AND      THE     PRACTICAI,     IMPROVEMENT     AND      DI 
RECTION    OF    IT    TO    EVANGELICAL     PIETY,    ENFORCED, 

/ 

By  the  Rev.  JOHN  Vi\NDER^EMP, 

Late  Minister  of  the  Gospel.,  in  the  Church  of  Dirkdand,  Hollands 

^RANSLAfED    FROM    fHE    DUTCH 

By  THE  Rev.  JOHN  M.  VAN  HARLINGEN 


JV£W-BRUA^SWIC%  jY.  J, 
PRINTED  BY  ABRAHAM  BLAUVELT. 

1810. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


OeV'ERAL  years  have  elapsed  since  the  various  symbolical  books 
of  our  Reformed  Dutch  church  were  first   translated  and    published 
in  the  English  language.     Tha  principal  design  of  publishing  them 
m  Enghsh  ^vas  to  instruct  ptTscns  of  this  country,  who  adhered   to 
our  church,  and  were  ignorant  of  the  Dutch   language.     The  great- 
est part  of  those  ^yho  belong  to  our   communion   in   America   are 
such.     It  hath  appeared  by  the  event  that  this  waa  a  useful  and  laud- 
able undertaking,  ana  indeed  absolutely  necessary.     It   occurred  to 
mc  some  years  since,  tiiat  it  would  be  serviceable   to   translate   also 
seme  valuable  exposition  of  one  or  other  of  our  symbolical  books  into 
English  ;  i>nd  as  no  book  of  this  kind  is  of  greater  authority,  or  more 
general  utility  than  the    Heideibecgh  catechism,  I  conceived  that   it 
would  be  proper,  and  particularly  useful  to  translate  some  approved 
exposition  of  the  catechism.     I  knew  of  none  that  was  either  better, 
or  more   generally  approved,  than  that  of  the  Rev.  John  VaNDER- 
KEMP  ;  and  I  entertained  a  desire  to   attempt  a  translation  of  that. 
I  mentioned  my  inclination  to  several  friends,  who  forthwith  approved 
of  the  motion,  and  encouraged  me  to  begin.     Seveial  ministers  espe- 
cially urged  me  to  it.     Indeed  it  appeared  both  to  them  and  to  me, 
that  a  work  of  such  a  nature  was  necessary,  and  that  not  only  for  the 
laity,  but  also  for  the  clergy  of  ouV  church,  because  they  are  obliged 
to  expound  the  catechism  in  order  every  sabbath,  when  they  preach 
twice,  which  is  done  in   cities  during  tiie   whole  year,  and  in   the 
country  at  least  during  half  the  year.     Many  of  our  younger  minis- 
ters understand  not  the  Dutch  language,  and  they  have  no  other  as- 
sistance in  preparing  discourses  on   the  catechism,   than  what  they 
can  derive  from  Latin  expositions,  which  are  exceedingly   scarce  in 
ths  country,  so  that  but  few  can  obtain  them. 

I  have  endeavoured  to  mcike  it  my  first  object  in  translating  lhi« 
book,  to  be  f^iithful,  studying  to  give  what  I  judged  to  be  the  true 
sense  of  the  author,  and  not  addmg  >  r  omitting  a  single  sentence  wil- 
fully or  v/ittingly.     I  have  also  endeavoured  to  preserve  the  proper 


(  IV.  ) 

English  idiom,  which  is  much  more  difficult  in  translating-  than  in 
composing.  1  have  purposely  aToided  hard  and  unusual  words.  In 
several  quotations  from  scripture  I  have  followed  the  Dutch  transla- 
tion instead  of  the  English,  but  only  where  the  foregoing  and  follow- 
ing context  of  the  author  required  it.  I  have  also  added  a  few  notes 
to  explain  certain  particulars. 

The  work  which  we  now  offer  to  the  public  hath  been  highly  es- 
teemed in  the  original,  having  been  often  reprinted  since  its  first 
publication,  although  th'  re  were  many  other  books  of  the  same  kind 
in  Dutch.  Jt  is  the  sincere  and  earnest  prayer  of  the  translator,  that 
as  it  hath  been  acceptable  and  useful  to  the  fathers  in  the  original, 
it  may  be  so  likewise  to  the  children  in  a  translation)  and  to  all  who 
may  favour  it  with  a  perusal. 


THE  AUTHOR'S 

PREFACE 
TO  THE  CANDID  READER. 


Candid  Readkr, 


B 


EFORE  I  inform  thee  of  the  purport  of  this  my  book,  I  must 
briefly  discourse  with  thee  on  two  momentous  matters,  which  are  of 
the  greatest  concern  to  thee  and  every  other  person.  And  in  the  first 
place,  that  it  behooves  thee  to  inquire  whether  thou  art  in  the  true 
church,  in  which  God,  with  whom  we  have  to  do,  is  sought,  worship- 
ped and  glorified  in  a  pure  and  acceptable  manner,  to  salvation.  It  is 
a  dictate  of  human  nature,  that  man  ought  not  only  to  worship  and 
glorify  God,  but  that  he  ought  also  to  do  this  in  connection  with 
others.  But  man  having  sinned,  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of 
God,  knows  not  in  what  manner  he  ought  to  worship  and  glorify 
him ;  and  nevertheless,  as  the  idea,  that  he  ought  to  worship  God, 
abides  with  him,  he  will,  according  to  his  confused  and  singular  con- 
ceptions, endeavour  to  worship  him  m  an  erroneous  manner.  And 
since  being  puffed  up  by  his  fleshly  understanding,  he  delights  in 
himself,  and  in  his  peculiar  opinions,  he  therefore  seeks  to  render 
them  agreeable  to  others  also,  and  thus  to  create  a  party,  even  in  re- 
ligion. But  the  Lord  God,  having  appointed  for  himself  an  everlast- 
ing people,  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation, 
a  pecuhar  people,  that  they  might  shev/  forth  his  praise,  hath  made 
his  v/i!l  known  to  them,  and  thus  also  the  proper  method  of  glorify- 


VI 


P  R  E  F  A  C  E. 


inj^-  Iilin.  This  hath  proclaced  two  kmds  of  churches  and  relictions, 
a  fA'se,  and  a  true  or  pure  one.  The  false  is  that  of  the  heathens, 
the  modsrn  Jews,  the  Mahometans,  and  the  erroneous  Christians. 

The  heathens  have  ordered  their  religion  according-  to  the  twiliii^ht 
of  nature,  which  they  have  exceedingly  darkened  by  numerous  fables, 
tricked  up  from  certain  obscure  traditions  of  the  fathers.  For  as  the 
apostle  of  the  hrathens  saith,  Rom.  i.  21,  22,  23.  "  When  they  knew 
God,  they  glorified  him  not  as  God,  neither  were  thankful,  but  be- 
came vain  in  their  imaginations,  and  their  foolish  heart  was  darken- 
ed. Professing  themselves  to  be  wise  they  became  fools  :  and 
changed  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God  into  an  image  made  like 
to  corruptible  man,  and  to  birds,  and  to  fourfootcd  beastti,  and  creep- 
ing tilings." 

The  modern  Jews,  who  have  apostatised  from  the  faith  of  their 
fathers,  make  use  of  the  scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament,  but  dis- 
guise and  obscure  them  exceedingly  by  the  traditions  of  the  elders, 
which  they  dress  up  with  a  number  of  profane  and  old  wives  fables : 
whereby  *'  their  minds  are  blinded  ;  for  until  this  day  there  re- 
maincth  a  vail  on  theh'  hearts  in  the  reading  of  the  Old  Testament, 
2.  Cor.  iii.  14,  15. 

The  Mahometans  regulate  themselves  by  their  Alcoran,  as  they 
call  it,  a  book  patched  up  of  heathenish,  Jewish,  and  Ncstorian"  er» 
rours. 

The  Christ* ans  are  either  Romanists  or  Pelagians,  (to  whom  the 
Sociniar.s,  the  Tc3uits,  Arminians,  and  certain  Mcnnonites  jom 
theiuselvcs  more  or  l;.^ss)  or  Enthusiasts,  or  Protestants,  to  wit,  the 
Reforrnjd  and  those  who  embrace  the  Augsburg  confession. 

All  these  cannot  be  each  the  true  church,  nor  haAe  the  true  form 
of  religious  worship.  For  there  is  but  "  one  body,  and  one  spirit, 
one  faith,  one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of  all,  who  is  above  all, 
and  through  all,  and  in  all,  "  Eph.  iv.  5,  5.  The  doctrines  of  so 
many  societies  must  cLsh  with  one  another,  mtist  undermine  and 
r>veithrow  each  other  :  such  a  Bab.il  .\nc\  confusion  of  articles  of 
l:iith  and  ceremonies  must  loosen  the  bond  of  union,  the  essential 
quahncation  ot  the  chuich,  must  scatter  the  members  and  displease 
God  ;  "  For  God  is  not  a  God  of  confusion,  but  of  peace,"  1  Cor. 
xiv,  33  "  This  surely  is  not  the  wisdom  that  is  from  above,  but  it 
is  earthly,  sensual  and  detilish.  For  where  envymg  and  strife  is, 
tlicrc  is  confusion  and  every   evil  v»'ork,"  James    iii.    15,    16,    17^ 

Therefore  it  concerns  thee  greatly,  worthy  reader,  to  know  with 
what  people  the  true  church  of  God  and  the  pure  religion  is.  The 
truw  church  alone  is  the  household  of  God,  his  city,  the  holy  Jeruia- 


PREFACE.  vii 

km,  mount  Zion,  the  Daughter  of  God,  the  darlinj^,  spcuse,  and 
body  of  Jesus,  his  dove,  his  fair  one  and  undefiled  :  she  alone  is  the 
object  and  end  of  all  the?  blessed  favours  of  God  :"  The  ^race  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  love  of  God  the  Father,  and  the  communicn 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  with  her,"  2  Cor.  xiii.  13.  God  elected  her  from 
eternity,  and  gives  her  his  Son  and  Spirit.  He  enters  into  an  ever- 
lasting covenant  of  grace  with  her,  and  gives  her  all  the  sure  mercies 
of  that  covenant :  he  regenerates,  calls,  justifies,  sanctifies,  seals, 
preserves,  leads,  comforts  and  saves  her.  We  may  sec  what  glo- 
rious things  are  spoken  of  this  city  of  God,  Psalm  xlvi.  xlviii.  Ixxxvii. 
cxxii.  cxxxiii.  and  in  the  Song  of  Solomon.  We  must  join  our- 
selves to  the  true  church,  if  we  will  be  saved,  Acts  ii.  47.  All  who 
are  called  Christians  confess  one  holy,  catliolic.  Christian  church  :  we 
must  th'srefore  inquire  where  the  true  church  is  to  be  found.  So  the 
spouse  did,  when  she  said  to  her  bridegroom.  Song  i.  7.  "  Tell  me 
where  thou  feedest,  where  thou  makest  thy  flock  to  rest  at  noon  : 
for  why  should  I  be  as  one  that  turneth  aside  by  the  flocks  of  thy 
companions  ? 

It  is  therefore  a  soul  ruining  madness  to  hold  with  the  atheists, 
that  all  the  glorious  things  which  are  spoken  of  the  church  of  God  arc 
trifles ;  or,  from  selfwill,  or  because  we  are  ofl'ended  at  the  multi- 
tude of  differences,  to  remain  in  a  state  of  separation  from  others, 
as  if  we  could  serve  God  aione  and  apart  from  others,  as  well  as  with 
and  in  society  :  for  "  he  who  is  not  with  Jesus"  and  his  people,  ''  is 
against  him  ;  and  he  who  gathereth  not  with  him  scattereth  abroad.'* 
Math.  xii.  30.  It  is  also  folly  to  run  afler  every  leader,  and  to  think 
that  we  can  serve  God  sincerely,  and  so  be  saved  in  every  denom- 
ination ;  for  there  is  neither  holiness  nor  salvation  out  of  the  true 
church  of  God,  and  he  who  is  out  of  the  church  of  God  must  be  con- 
sidered as  "  a  heathen  man,  and  a  publican,"  Math,  xviii.  16. 
We  must  disapprove  also  of  the  conduct  of  those,  who  only  suppose, 
without  inquiry,  and  without  an  actual  persuasion  of  their  minds, 
that  they  are  in  the  true  church  and  have  the  pure  doctrine  of  faith. 
The  common  people  among  the  papists  act  thus  by  the  advice  of 
their  teachers,  when  they  assent  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Romish  church 
with  an  implicit  faith,  and  do  not  examine  the  matter  itself;  they 
may  not  indeed  read  the  divine  revelation,  the  priest  becomes  surety 
for  the  souls  of  his  people,  and  he  swears  that  he  teaches  the  truth. 
But  the  papists  are  not  the  only  persons  who  act  thus,  but  I  conceire 
that  many,  who  recede  from  the  papists  do  also  conduct  in  this  man- 
ner, when  they  say  that  religion  consists  only  in  two  articles,  to  wit, 
a  belief  of  the  promises,  and  obedience  to  the   commands,  to  which 


,iii  PREFACE. 

others  for  decency's  sake,  add  a  becoming  reverence  for  the  holy 
scriptures  :  and  they  can  therefore  tolerate  every  crrour :  when  a  per- 
son only  holds  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah,  and  is  no  idolater,  they  will 
salute  him  as  their  brother. 

But  the  Reformed  teach  alto^^ether  differently  from  this  :  they  re- 
quire that  all  men  sliould,  like  the  Bereans,  search  the  scripture  dai- 
ly, whetlier  the  things,  which  their  pastors  teach  them,  be  agreeable 
to  the  word  of  God  ;  they  enjoin  upon  every  one  to  lire  by  his  ovrn 
faith,  and  not  by  the  faith  of  his  teachers  ;  and  therefore  certain  marks, 
v»-;uch  arc  taken  only  from  the  Bible,  aie  proposed  to  him  by  our 
people,  that  he  may  see  for  himself,  whether  he  be  in  that  church, 
ivhich  is  described  in  the  book  ot  God,  as  his  beloved  people.  But 
Avhat  alistlesness  hath  seized  even  upon  many  of  God's  people,  that 
they  do  not  so  much  as  inquire,  but  suppose  in  a  careless  manner  ; 
that  they  are  in  the  true  church  :  this  matter,  they  think,  is  too  high 
for  them  ;  they  conceive  that  their  parents,  v/ho  procured  their  in- 
corporation into  this  church  and  educated  them  in  it,  knew  what 
they  '.vere  about,  and  they  think  that  their  ministers  are  too  wise, 
and  too  pious  to  mislead  them.  Is  this  thy  conduct  also,  reader? 
hast  thou  then  a  better  proof  and  ground  for  thy  faith  than  a  heath- 
en, Jew,  Turk  or  Papist,  and  wouldest  thcu  not  be  one  of  them,  as 
thou  art  now  one  of  us,  if  thou  wert  only  educated  among  them  ? 
and  if  a  persecution  should  arise  against  us,  and  thou  shouldest  be 
obliged  to  suffer  reproach,  pain,  and  shame  for  the  doctrine  of  om* 
church,  wouldest  thou  then  indeed  have  a  single  reason,  why  thou 
woulflcst  not  forsake  us,  and  join  thyielf  to  our  adversaries  ? 

Perhaps  thou  art  amazed  at  these  expressions,  and  thinkest,  ought  I 
then  to  doubt  whether  I  am  in  the  true  church,  and  whether  thou 
teachest  me  the  truth?  what  will  I  then  do  with  this  book  of  thine? 
But  hold,  my  friend,  compose  thyself  a  little.  Art  thou  persuaded 
in  thy  mind,  and  assured  upon  good  grounds,  that  the  doctrine  of  our 
church  is  the  pure  doctrine  of  God's  word,  far  be  it  from  me,  that  I 
ehouldlcndmy  tongue  and  pen  to  the  devil,  to  rob  thee  of  thy  sure 
foundation,  and  cause  thee  to  stagger  in  thy  faith.  But  dost  thou 
barely  suppose  this  by  an  implicit  faith,  I  would  then  only  convince 
thee  of  thy  vanity  and  carelessness  with  respect  to  this  matter,  which 
is  of  so  great  consequence,  that  thou  mayest  be  earnestly  desirous 
to  seek  for  solid  grounds  and  certain  evidences  for  thyself,  upon 
which  thou  mayest  settle  thy  soul  in  peace.  The  righteous  only 
is  of  the  household  of  God,  and  he  must  live  by  his  own  faith.  The 
lame  and  the  blind  are  hated  by  the  soul  of  the  true  David ;  the  lame 
und  the  blind  sliall  not  come  into  his  house.     VVc  wish  not  tliat  thou 


PREFACE.  ix 

shouldest  suspect  our  church  and  doctrine  of  falsehood  and  impuri- 
ty ;  for  we  are  perfectly  persuaded  of  her  truth  and  purily  ;  but  we 
only  condemn  thine  implicit  faith,  by  which  thou  limply  supposest, 
"Without  evidence,  that  thou  art  in  the  true  church  :  and  we  endea- 
vour to  urge  thee  to  seel^  a  well  grounded  faith  ;  for  an  implicit  faith 
is  no  faith,  but  only  a  vague  and  idle  supposition,  which  hath  no  in- 
fluence at  all  upon  the  mind. 

But  what  proof  can  there  be  offered,  by  v;hich  we  may  learn  wliat 
people  arc  the  church  of  God,  and  profess  his  truth,  and  v/orship 
him  in  a  manner  that  is  acceptable  to  him  ?  We  judge  in  the  first 
place  that  the  heathens  manifest  that  God  doth  not  arknowledge 
them  to  be  his  people.  Their  erroneous  opinions  concerning  the 
God-head,  their  inventing  of  abominable  gods,  who  were  the  off- 
spring )f  whoredom,  and  practised  the  mo3t  shameful  lewdness,  en- 
vy, and  revenge ;  yea,  even  such  to  v/horn  the  most  vicious,  filthy 
and  hateful  p  ssions  were  dedicated :  the  inhuman  barbarities, 
unnatural  practices,  and  other  wicked  works  of  the  heathens,  (see 
Ivom.  i.  22,  23.)  evidence  that  they  suppress  the  truth  in  unriijh- 
teousness,  that  they  extinguish  the  light  of  nature,  and  have  forsak- 
en tlie  pure  tradition  of  their  father  Noah.  It  was  thus  with  the 
heathens  of  old,  and  it  is  thus  still  with  those,  who  have  cither  never 
heard  of  the  gospel,  or  reject  it. 

Are  not  the  heathens  the  people  of  God,  some  may  perhaps  think 
that  the  Jews  are.  It  is  true,  the  Lord  God  formerly  established 
his  covenant  with  Abraham  and  his  seed,  and  promised  that  he 
would  be  a  God  to  them,  and  that  they  should  be  his  people,  Gen. 
xvii.  78.  ''  When  Israel  went  out  of  Egypt,  the  house  of  Jacob  from 
a  people  of  strange  language,  then  Judah  became  his  sanctuary,  and 
Israel  his  dominion."  Psalm  cxiv.  1,  2.  see  Exod.  xix.  and  xx. 
But  we  inquire  not  concerning  the  ancient  Jev/s,  but  the  modern. 
For  although  they  are  Abraham's  seed  after  the  flesh,  they  are  nev- 
ertheless not  after  the  promise  ;  for  they  have  rejected  and  cor- 
rupted the  oracles  of  God,  which  were  committed  to  them.  It  is 
true,  the  modern  Jews  are  very  attentive  to  letters,  they  hare  pre- 
served the  ancient  book  of  God  faithfully,  and  have  transmitted  it  to 
us  entire :  but  they  gnaw  only  the  outward  shell  of  it,  and  they  re- 
ject the  kernel,  the  pith,  the  marrow,  and  true  sense  of  it.  They 
have  darkened  the  sense  of  the  divine  word  by  their  oral  law,  the 
traditions  of  the  elders,  the  commandments  and  fables  of  men,  see 
Isaiah  xxix.  10 — 13.  The  promised  Messiah,  the  expectation  of  their 
fathers,  they  have  rejected  and  slain  :  they  have  set  up  their  own 
righteousness  in  opposition  to  the  righteousness  of  God.   see  Rora^ 


X  PREFACE. 

ix.  51,  32,  S3,  X.  2,  3.  And  how  do  they  perform  their  religious 
service  ?  is  it  not  only  a  profane  and  idle  bawling  ?  we  perceive  not 
the  least  reverence,  attention,  or  devotion  among  them  in  their  syna- 
gogues. Their  eyes  declare  their  blindness,  and  hy^rdness,  they  are 
famous  tljrour^hout  the  world  for  their  injustice,  their  griping  usury 
and'deceit,  and  yet  they  will  not  return.  They  deceive  themselves 
with  rain  imaginations,  thinking  and  resting  on  it,  that  Abraham 
is  their  father ;  but  as  they  have  apostatised  from  his  faith,  and  do 
not  perform  his  works,  they  m.anifest  that  they  are  born  after  the 
flesh,  and  that  they  are  children  of  the  servile  covenant  of  works, 
and  have  therefore  been  cast  out  of  the  family  of  Abraham,  like 
children  of  Hagar  and  Ishmael.  See  Gal.  iv.  21 — 30.  compared 
with  Gen.  xxi.  9,  10.  It  is  therefore  erident,  that  the  present  Jews 
arc  not  the  people  of  God,  but  are  rejected  by  the  God  of  their 
fathers :  "  Ye  are  not  my  people,  neither  will  I  be  your  God,"  thus 
the  Lord  spake  of  old  to  this  people,  Kosea.  i.  9.  "  He  hath  cut  his 
staff  beauty  asunder,  that  he  might  break  his  covenant,  which  he  had 
made  with  all  this  people,"  Zech,  xi.  10.  And  they  will  remain  in 
their  forsaken  condition,  until  the  Lord  fulfil  his  good  word,  which 
he  hath  spoken  concerning  them,  and  receive  them  again.  See  Mo- 
sea,  iii.  4,  5.  Rom.  xi.  25,  32.  They  cannot  endure  that  the  hea- 
then should  inherit  their  promises.  Hear  what  Paul  saith  of  them 
wit)\  truth,  1  Thess.  ii.  15,  16.  "  They  have  killed  the  Lord  Jesirs, 
and  their  own  prophets,  and  have  persecuted  us  ;  and  they  please  not 
God,  and  are  contrary  to  all  men  :  forbidding  us  to  speak  to  the 
Gentiles,  that  they  might  be  saved,  to  fill  up  their  sins  alway  ;  for  the 
^▼rath  is  come  upon  them  to  the  uttermost." 

Are  not  the  Jews  the  people  of  God,  much  less  are  the  Mahome- 
tans ;  for  their  Alcoran,  (or  religious  and  canonical  book)  composed 
by  Mahomet,  assisted  by  a  Nestorian  monk,  with  others  of  his  party, 
and  certain  Jews,  was  carelessly  compihd  from  cei  tain  doctrines  of 
the  Bible-,  inserted  without  order  and  method,  and  from  certain  heath- 
enish traditions,  and  many  triiles,  invented  by  the  compilers.  Many 
of  their  doctrines  are  ridiculous  ;  their  ceremonies  are  superstitious  ; 
many  of  those  among  them,  whom  they  caU  spiritual,  live  like  beasts, 
and  the  whole  is  calculated  to  flatter  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  :  and  they 
have  but  few  things  that  can  satisfy^  the  reasonable  sou!.  The 
nations  were  compelled  by  violence  to  accept  of  their  religion,  it  is 
propagated  by  cruelty,  and  maintained  by  the  sword.  '  How  can  this 
peojle  be  the  people  of  God  ?  They  are  also  selfcondemned  ;  for 
they  will  not  be  questioned  concerning  their  doctrines  ;  whoever  dis- 
putes about  tht}a  must  be  put   to  death :  "  For  every  one  that  doth 


PREFACE.  xi 

evil  hateth  the  light,  neither  Cometh  he  to  the  light,  lest  his  deeds 
should  be  reproved,"  John  iii.  20. 

Doth  not  the  church  of  God  exist  among  the  heathens,  nor  among 
the  Jews,  nor  Mahometans,  we  must  tlien  seek  her  among  the 
Christians,  with  whom  we  shall  also  find  her.  In  order  to  prove 
this,  it  v/ould  be  necessary  to  demonstrate  the  truth  of  the  Christian 
religion,  especially  with  respect  to  those  common  doctrines,  which 
arc  received,  by  all  who  are  called  Christians :  for  instance,  this  one 
article,  to  wit,  that  Jesus,  the  son  of  Mary,  is  the  true  Messiah.  We 
might  demonstrate  this  either  a  priori^  from  Moses  and  the  prophets, 
to  whom  Jesus  and  the  apostles  appealed  ;  or  a  fiosteriori^  from  Jesus 
and  his  apostles,  who  confirmed  the  doctrine  of  Moses  and  of  the 
prophets.  We  could  prove  this  abundantly  from  the  resurrection 
of  Jesus,  as  we  have  shewn  on  the  seventeenth  Lord's  Day.  After 
we  had  thus  established  the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion,  wc  might 
also  demonstrate  the  divinity  of  it  by  many  arguments,  but  especial- 
ly by  the  numerous  prophecies,  which  have  been  fulfilled  in  all  their 
circumstances,  and  by  the  m.any  miracles,  with  which  the  Lord  hath 
sealed  and  confirmed  the  word,  as  his  own.  But  it  will  not  be  pro- 
per to  enlarge  much  on  these  particulars,  lest  we  should  extend  our 
address  to  too  great  a  length-  Wc  may  find  these  things  sufficiently 
treated  of  by  many  of  our  divines. 

Although  this  general  acknowledgement  of  the  Messiahship  of 
Jesus  is  true  and  divine,  nevertheless  the  Christian  world  is  divided 
into  so  many  churches  and  different  denominations,  that  they  cannot 
all  and  each  of  them  in  particular  be  the  true  church  of  God.  For 
all  the  members  of  the  true  church  must,  with  respect  to  the  fun- 
damental points  of  the  faith,  "  avoid  schisms,  and  they  must  be 
perfectly  joined  together  in  the  same  mind,  and  in  the  same  judg- 
ment;  they  must  be  hkeminded,  having  the  same  love,  being  of 
one  accord,  of  one  mind,"  1  Cor.  i.  10.  Philip,  ii.  2.  But  the  Chris- 
tian world  is  at  present  so  divided,  as  it  was  also  anciently,  with  re- 
spect to  the  fundamental  points  of  doctrine  and  practice,  that  what  is 
denied  and  condemned  by  one,  is  afiirmed  by  another :  v/hat  one  thinks 
he  ought  to  confess,  another  will  oppose  and  overthrow  with  much 
bitterncbs  and  passion  :  yea,  if  it  were  in  the  power  of  some,  who 
will  also  be  called  Christians,  they  would  destroy  others  with  fire  and 
fiword,  with  the  rack  and  gibbet,  although  they  should  unpeople  and 
devastate  the  greatest  part  of  the  world  :  for  one  endeavours  to  per- 
suade another  to  embrace  his  opinion,  and  when  he  cannot  succeed, 
he  will  not  maintain  any  fellowship  with  him.  The  apostles,  and 
the  Jewish  or  Pharisaical  Christians  opposed  eacu  other  vehccaently 


Xll 


PREFACE. 


in  the  primitire  church.     John  would  have  that  "if any  did  not 
brin^  his  doctrine  with  him,  they  should  not  receive  him  into  their 
house,  nor  bid  him  God  speed,"  2  John,  vs.  10,    11.     Jesus  himself, 
commends  the   Ephesians,  because  "  they  hated  the  works  of  the 
Nicolaitans,  and   saith  that  he  hated  them  also,"  Rev.  ii.  6.     It  is 
sufiiciently  known  from  ecclesiastical  history,  how  the  Arians,  Pela- 
gians, Nestorians,  Eutychians,  and  others  were  condemned  and  re- 
jected by  those  v.ho  tau;2;ht  a  different  doctrine,  and  how  these  were 
in  their  turn  reprobr.ted  by  their  opponents.     Matters  are  conducted 
in  the  s;iir,e  manner  even  now.     I'hc  Quakers  or  enthusiasts,  the  So- 
tinians,   Arminians,  Menncnites,  Papists,  Lutherans  and  Reformed 
cannot  endure  each  other.     It  is  true,   the   Arminians  and  SocinianS 
pretend  that  they  could  exercise  brotherly  fellowship  with  all,  they 
tolerate  also  one  another  ;  nevertheless  they   will  not  maintain  fel- 
lowship with  the  idolatrous  pjtpists  :    they  say  that  they  would  unite 
■with  ihe  reformed  if  they  would  receive  thenm  into  fellowship  with 
them.     Bui  if  these  men  should  once  prevail,  we  should  then  see 
how  moderate  and  tolerant  they  would  be  toward  us.     Their  fore- 
runners, the  Arians,  Pelagians  and  Semipelagians  showed  sufficient- 
ly what  bitter  enemies  they    were  of  the  orthodox.     The  Remon- 
strants bestirred  themselves  vigorously  against  n%  in  the  last  century, 
when  they  saw  their  help  in  the  gates.     Since  then  there  are  so  ma- 
ny different  opinions,  which  overthrow  each  other,  it  follows  that  all 
these  denominations  cannot  be  the  true  church  and  pecuUar  people 
of  God ;   there  is  then  only  one  among  all  these,  which  hath  thtf 
true  nature  of  the  church. 

But  how  shall  v/c  find  the  pure  and  true  chwrch  of  God  among  all 
these  different  denominations  ?  Every  one  thinks  that  we  must  seek 
and  find  her  among  his  people,  with  whom  he  converses.  Surely 
there  must  be  a  possibility  of  knowing  the  true  churcK,  if  we  must 
join  ourselves  to  her,  that  we  may  partake  of  her  privileges  and  sav- 
ing benefits ;  she  is  indeed  "  a  city  upon  a  hill,  which  cannot  be  hid.** 
Matt.  v.  14.  But  v/hat  is  the  mark  whereby  we  may  know  her? 
*^hall  we  ask  the  church  of  Rome  which  is  the  true  church  and  the 
vlght  mark,  by  which  slie  may  be  known  ?  She  weens  indeed  that 
iihe  hath  a  better  right  to  this  than  all  besides.  She  pretends  that 
fahe  hath  the  highest  claim,  and  the  oldest  title  :  she  saith  that  hef 
high  priest,  the  pope,  is  the  supreme  judge  in  disputes,  to  whom  wo 
must  submit  our  faith  in  this  great  controversy.  But  others,  who 
belong  to  the  Romish  society,  think  that  the  pope  is  not  the  su- 
preme judge  in  disputes,  but  the  council,  to  whom  the  pope  must 
s.ibmit  ]i:iiii:clf.      I'i6v»'  then  shall  vrc  get  right  in  the  church  of 


PREFACE,  xiii 

kome  ?  cannot  she  decide  her  own  controversies,  how  will  she  then 
those  which  she  hath  with  others?  and  althoiii^h  she  should  be  of 
one  mind,  and  say  that  she  hath  a  supreme  right  to  pronounce  sen- 
tence, those  who  are  not  of  her  communion  will  dispute  that  right, 
and  assert  that  she  hath  no  such  right  at  all,  and  that  she  can  not 
prove  it,  which  we  may  justly  demand  of  her.  The  Romish  church 
is  party  concerned,  every  ohe  will  condemn  her  :  shall  she  now  be 
both  party  and  judge,  and  pronounce  sentence  in  her  own  case  ? 
who  would  not  condemn  this,  as  a  most  unfair  and  most  unreasonable 
proceeding  ?  and  who  would  submit  to  such  a  sentence  ?  It  will  there- 
fore be  most  proper  to  consult  the  mouth  and  the  word  of  the  Lord : 
so  the  spouse  acted,  Song  i.  7.  The  Son  of  God  is  indeed  the 
Head,  the  Shepherd,  the  Prophet,  the  Priest  and  King  of  his  church  ; 
he  is  the  word  and  the  wisdom  of  his  Father  :  the  word  of  God  was 
written  by  the  inspiration  of  the  infallible  Spirit,  and  the  Lord  speaks 
to  every  one  in  his  word  :  "  The  scripture  saith,"  Rom.  iii.  4.  ix. 
17.  X.  11.  To  that  the  Saviour  appealed  in  his  disputes  with  the 
Jews,  John  v,  39,  so  also  the  apostle?;Rom.  iii.  19.  iv.  3.  xxi.  4.  Gal. 
iv.  21,  22,  27,  30.  God  tommands  every  one  to  conduct  himself 
according  to  his  word,  and  to  speak  according  to  it,  and  dcnounceth 
a  severe  threatening  against  those  who  do  not.  Isaiah  viii.  20, 
Therefore  soundness  of  doctrine  according  to  the  written  word  of 
God  is  the  right  mark  of  the  true  church.  Jesus  himself  give?'  us 
this  mark,  John  viii.  31,  32,  47.  "  If  ye  continue  in  my  word,  then 
arc  ye  my  disciples  indeed;  and  ye  shall  know  tl»e  truth,  and  the 
truth  shall  make  you  free.  He  that  is  of  God  heareth  God's  words  : 
ye  therefore  hear  them  not  because  ye  are  not  of  God."  See  this 
also,  John  x.  27.  xiv.  21,  23.  They  who  abide  not  by  this  word 
are  condemned  and  accursed,  how  great  soever  their  authority  may 
be,  yea,  thoftgh  they  were  angels  from  heaven.  Gal.  i  8,  9.  The 
word  is  also  that  by  which  a  person  is  called  to  the  church,  and  is 
born  in  the  church,  2  Thess.  ii.  14.  James  i.  18.  1  Peter  i.  23.  The 
doctrine  according  to  the  word  of  God  is  also  the  privilege  of  the 
church  only,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  others.  Psalm  cxlvii.  19,  20o 
The  priests  of  the  Old  Testament,  who  were  ordained  by  God  him- 
self, might  judge  only  *'  according  to  the  sentence  of  the  law,'* 
Dcut.  xvii,  8,  9,  10.  Ar)d  truly  every  one  must  and  will  ac'.mit, 
either  wittingly  and  willingly,  or  un\rittingly  and  unwillingly,  that 
the  pure  doctrine  of  the  chuich  is  the  right  mark  of  the  true  churcha 
For  v/hat  person  is  there  of  all  the  different  denominations,  who, 
"When  he  is  urged  to  prove  his  opinion,  will  not  forthv/ith  alledge  one 


3civ  PREFACE. 

or  other  passage  of  scripture  ?  Doth  he  not  show  thereby,  that  his 
faith  must  be  tried  by  the  word  of  God*  as  the  proper  touchstone. 

Say  not  worthy  reader,  that  the  matter  which  we  would  explain, 
remains  thus  as  obscure  as  ever,  and  that  we  cannot  know  by  the 
agreement  of  any  person's  doctrine  with  the  word  of  God,  with  what 
people  we  may  find  the  church  of  God  ;  because  every  one  makes 
use  of  this  word  to  answer  his  purpose,  and  saith  that  his  opinion 
ao-reeth  with  the  word  of  God  ;  yea,  that  he  will  submit  himself  to 
the  word  only.  For  when  this  matter  is  properly  considered,  we 
shall  perceive  clearly  and  presently,  that  all  who  are  without  the  Re- 
formed, or  permit  me  to  say,  the  Protestant  church,  avoid  the  de- 
cision of  the  holy  scripture,  and  set  up  another  judge  above,  and  in 
opposition  to  the  holy  book  of  God,  because  they  perceive  that  they 
are  condemned  by  that  book. 

In  order  to  illustrate  and  confirm  this  assertion,  thou  must,  reader, 
allow,  and  thou  wilt  do  it,  if  thou  wilt  examine  this  matter  thoroughly, 
and  v/ithout  prejudice,  that  he  who  foundeth  all,  at  least  all  his  capi- 
tal doctrines  upon  a  principle  different  from  the  word  of  God,  and 
v/ho  models  and  fashions  the  whole  word  of  God  according  to  that 
principle,  I  say,  thou  must  allow  that  such  a  person  doth  not 
submit  himself  to  the  word  of  God  and  that  he  doth  not  regu- 
late his  opinionyaccording  to  it,  but  subjects  himself  to  a  differ- 
ent judge,  whom  he  sets  up,  to  wit,  that  principle  of  his ;  yea,  that 
he  subjects  even  the  word  of  the  Lord  of  hosts  to  that  principle.  If 
thou,  reader,  wilt  now  duly  attend  to  the  conduct  of  those  who  op- 
pose us,  thou  wilt  perceive  that  they  build  and  suspend  all  their 
doctrinal  tenets  either  upon  ethusiasm,  as  those  who  are  called  Qua- 
kers do  ;  or  upon  natural  reason  and  free  will,  as  the  Pelagians  and 
Semipelagians,  who  were  condemned  of  old,  did,  and  as  those  still  do, 
who  extoll  their  reason  so  much,  as  sound,  though  somewhat  weak- 
ened, and  their  indifferent  free  will,  to  wit,  the  Socinians,  Jesuits, 
Remonstrants,  and  many  Mennonites,  who  collude  with  them ;  or 
upon  lordship,  which  is  introduced  by  the  Papists. 

We  say  the  Quakers  build  and  suspend  the  articles  of  their  faith 
upon  enthusiasm  ;  for  they  will  not  receive  any  part  of  the  word  of 
God,  but  what  is  suggested  to  them  by  an  immediate  revelation  of 
The  Spirit  of  God,  whereby  they  are  then,  as  they  pretend,  in  a 
manner  deified,  imagining  that  they  are  above  the  holy  word  of 
God,  which  they  subject  to  their  accidental  notions ;  and  therefore 
they  utter  the  most  absurd  and  fantastical  doctrines  of  faith,  and  use 
unseemly  and  (offensive  gestures.  What  thinkest  thou,  candid 
reader,  can  this  people  appeal  to  the  word  of  God,  as  the  only  judge, 


PREFACE.  XV 

arsd  the  perfect  standard  of  faith  ;  do  they  not  reject,  yea,  do  they 
r-ot  reproach  this  judge,  when  they  decry  the  written  word  of  God, 
as  "  a  mere  paper  word,  a  book  for  children,  milk  for  babes,  an  am- 
biguous scripture,  wliich  hath  neither  meaning  nor  force,  unless  it 
bj;  inspired  and  animated  by  an  inward  word  ?" 

The  Socinians  establish  their  doctrine  upon  a  different  principle^ 
to  wit,  natural  reason  and  free  will.     Natural  reason,  they  think,  is 
still  sound  and  unimpaired  ;    men  can  perceive  all  things  clearly  by 
reason  ;    "  We  do  not  by  any  means  assent  to  things,  which  we 
clearly  perceive  to  be  impossible,"  saith  Socinus  de  Servatore,  part.  3. 
ca/i.  6.  /ia^e  282.     They  think  therefore  that  reason  is  the  rule  and 
expositor  of  the  scripture,  and  that  all  the  controversies,  that  relate 
to  the   scripture,  ought   and   can  be   determined  by  the  voice    of 
reason.     They  deny  for  the  sake  of  their  sound  reason  the  simplici- 
ty of  God,  his  essential  omnipresence,  his  foreknowledge,    his  free 
and  unchangeable  decrees,  the  divine  Trinity,  the  personal  union  of 
the  two  natures  in  Christ,  and  his  satisfaction  to  the  justice  of  God, 
Sfc.     They  cannot  comprehend  these  thmgs,  nor  reconcile  them  to 
their  reason,  and  therefore  they  reject  them,  though  they  are  plainly 
set  forth  in  the  word  of  God.     Ostorod  saith  that   he  would  not  be- 
lieve the  incarnation,  (that  is,  Christ's  takiug  upon  himself  the  hu- 
man nature,  or  the  personal  union  of  a  divine  and  human  nature  in 
Christ,)  although  it  should  seem  to  be  clearly  asserted  in  the  scrip- 
ture, because  it  is  contrary  to  reason,  which  judgeth  it  to  be  false. 
Another    champion  of   the    Socinians,    namely,    Samalcius    saith, 
"  There  is  not  the  least  tittle  of  the  Christian  religion,  which  doth 
not  agree  with  reason  ;    and  if  any  opinion  agree  not  with  reason,  it 
is  not  admissible  in  theology ;    and  it  must  necessarily  be  exceed- 
ingly  pernicious  and  false.     Li  refut,    thes*  Franc,  page    137.   et  in 
prcifat,    Socinus  himself  saith,  de  Servatore,  part,  3.  cap.  6.  pag»  282. 
*^  With  respect  to  myself,  although  the  scripture  said  not  once,  but 
often,"  (to  wit,  that  Christ  hath  satisfied  God  for  our  sins)  "  I  should 
nevertheless  not  believe  that  it  was  altogether  so.     It  cannot  by  any 
means  be  so,"  according  to  the  judgment  of  his.  reason.      What 
thinkest  thou,  reader,  can  we  believe  that  these  men   receive  the 
scripture  only  for  their  judge  and  rule,  and  that  they  submit  them- 
selves to  it,  and  prove  from  it  that  they  have  the  right  mark  of  the 
church  and  people  of  God  ?     I  judge  not.     In  the  same  manner  do 
they  make  free  will  a  foundation,  upon  which  they  build  many  other 
Qpinions.    They  think  that  free  will  is  indifferent,  and  not  so  exceed- 
ingly corrupt,  as  the  Reformed  pretend,  and  therefore  thpy  do  not 
ticiieve  the  inability  of  the  sinner  to  do  good,  they  deny  the  necessity 


XVI 


PREFACE. 


of  a  heart  chiingine;  re(>eneration,  God's  effectual  ^race  in  working 
faith  and  conversion,  &c.  And  why,  because  tliese  things  agree  not 
with  the  word  of  God  ?  no,  but  because  they  can  not  be  reconciled  to 
their  indifferent  free  will.  Doth  it  not  then  plainly  appear,  that  thf 
word  of  God  is  not  the  foundation  of  their  faith,  but  their  own  vain 
glorious  free  will  ? 

The  Jesuits  and  Remonstrants  will  not  indeed  speak  so  harshly, 
nevertheless  free  will  i?  the  hinge  upqn  which  most  of  their  doc- 
trines, which  they  hold  in  common  with  each  other,  turn.  They 
believe  that  man  is  not  so  good  as  Adam  was  betore  the  fall:  he 
hath  lost  the  image  of  God,  his  supernatural  grace,  his  golden  bridle  ; 
the  inbred  lusts  of  his  flesh  have  bewildered  him,  and  he  is  thus  be- 
come weak  ;  but  he  is  not  therefore  so  dead,  so  dark,  corrupt  and  in- 
capable of  doing  good ;  but  he  can  still  by  the  help  of  grace  discern  the 
tilings  of  God,  desu-e  and  dispose  himself  for  conversion.  He  would 
otherwise  he  deprived  of  his  free  and  indifferent  will,  and  they  think 
that  this  is  impossible,  unless  he  shouM  cease  to  be  mam  And  there* 
fore  we  must  not  hold  an  absolutely  free,  and  eternally  unchangea- 
ble decree,  but  a  conditional  one,  that  is  a  decree  suspended  upon 
Ihe  condition  of  foreseen  faith,  good  works  and  perseverance.  And 
on  this  account  they  believe  that  Christ  died  for  all  men,  that  God 
hath  entered  into  a  general  covenant  of  grace  with  all  men,  that  he 
bestows  a  general  and  sufficient,  but  not  a  particular,  effectual,  and 
irresistible  grace  upon  all  men,  and  that  the  saints  may  apostatize 
from  the  faith.  If  this  were  not  so,  free  will  would  be  forced,  and 
God  could  not  with  any  equity  demand  of  man  what  he  was  unable 
to  perform.  Do  we  not  then  see  that  these  men  make  free  will,  by 
them  considered  as  indifferent,  and  not  the  word  of  God,  the  foun- 
da'.ion  of  their  doctrine  ot  faith?  How  dare  they  then  pretend  that 
they  make  the  word  of  God  their  foundation  ? 

The  Papists  exalt  their  sovereign  lordship  to  the  throne,  that  they 
may  subject  the  word  of  God,  its  mysteries,  and  all  that  is  sacred 
and  profane  to  themselves.  They  have  therefore  introduced  the  rul- 
ing power  of  a  pope,  of  cardinals,  bishops  and  other  lords.  They 
teach  that  their  church  is  superior  to  the  scripture,  that  we  cannot 
derive  the  authority  and  sense  of  scripture  from  the  scripture  itself, 
but  wc  must  derive  it  from  the  Romish  sovereignty.  They  introduce 
traditions,  many  articles  of  faith,  and  ceremonies  without,  above,  yea, 
contrary  to  the  word  of  God  :  they  say,  the  church  of  Rome  hath 
a  right  to  do  this,  and  men  ought  to  obey  her  implicitly.  The  com- 
;non  people  must  depend  only  upon  the  v/ords  of  their  teachers  ;  they 
Xi^ay  not  read  the  word  of  God,  nor  search  it,  they  would  become  top 


P  R  E  F  !A  C  E. 


xvii 


conceited,  and  contradict  their  superiors :  whoever  attempts  to  do  this 
is  a  heretic,  and  deserves  the  stake :  therefore  they  choose  not  that 
the  scripture  should  be  translated  into  the  vulgar  language  of  the 
people,  and  they  enjoin  that  the  public  service  of  the  church  should 
be  performed  only  in  a  foreign  language  :  the  people  have  enough 
to  do  with  hearing  masses,  counting  and  muttering  a  great  number 
of  prayers  to  God,  abstaining  from  paiticular  meats  during  certain 
seasons,  shriving  all  their  sins,  and  performing  well  and  carefully  the 
penances   imposed    upon  them  by  the   priest  to  whom  they   have 
ah'riven :  men  must  by  all  means  establish  their  own  righteousness, 
and  merit  heaven  by  their  good  works  in  that  Romish  communion  s 
they  make  indeed  a  great  noise  and  ado  about  the  name  Jesns,  they 
must  bow  themselves  when  they  hear  it  mentioned,  they  must  men- 
tion it  often,  it  must  be  engraven  by  all  means  in  churches,  m  houses, 
upon  walls,  yea,  upon  dishes ;  but  what  doth  Jesus  do  for  all  this 
honour  ?  he  obtains   for  them  that  their  good  works  can  merit.     In 
this  manner  do  they  keep  the  people  who  know  little  or  nothing,  in 
bondage  and  slavery,  so  that  they  submit  themselves  readily  to  those 
Romish  lords,  without  even  muttering  against  them.     But  this  sov- 
ereign authority  and  power  cannot  be  maintained  without  money. 
What  do  they  do  ?  They  introduce  shriving  to  the  priest,  they  sell 
spiritual  offices,  indulgences,   masses  for  souls,  and  require  satisfac- 
tion of  men  in  their  own  persons  in  and  after  this  life,  which  can  be 
considerably  moderated  with  money  :  indeed,  all  things  are  saleable 
at  Rome,  even  whoredom  ;  by  which  means  those  great  merchants 
become  excedingiy  rich,  and  maintain  themselves.     Must  thou  not 
therefore,  observing  reader,  judge  that  the  Romish  lordship  and  not 
th^  word  of  God  is  the  principle  from  which  all  the  Popish  doctrines 
and  institutions  are  derived  ?  If  the  Rornish  synagogue  could  find 
herself  in  the  word  of  God,  v/ould  she  sport  in  this  manner  with 
the  souls,  with  the  bodies,  v;ith  the  goods  of  men,  with  the  faith  and 
with  the  word  of  God?  We  may  see  how  little  these  men  regard 
the  book  of  God  as  their  rule  by  the  reproaches,  which  they  belch 
out  against  it ;  for  they  say  that  it  is  an  imperfect,  dark,  and  double 
meaning  book.     I  have  no  inclination  to  repeat  all  the  reproachful 
expressions  which  many  of  the  leaders  of  ihe  Romanists  have  vomit- 
ed out  against  this  book.     It  will  suffice  us  to  see,  that  the  Papists 
perceive  that  they  are  condemned  by  the  word,  and  that  they  there- 
fore hate  it  as  adversaries  of  the  light. 

Hath  the  Lord  uov/  a  true  church  on  the  earth,  as  he  certainly 
hath,  and  as  everyone  steadfastly  believes,  and  is  she  not  to  be  found 
among  those  who  are  without  us,  she  must  then  surely  be  found  with 


«ria  PREFACE. 

US      Nor  is  our  boasting  vain  ;  for  why  do  we  teach  the  abominable 
and  guilty  depravity  and  inipoteney  of  the  sinner  ?  why  do  we  be- 
lieve in  the  Triune  God,  Creator,  Redeemer,  and   Sanctifier?  -s^hy 
do  we  hold  that  the  only  begotten  and  proper  Son  of  God  took  upon 
himself  a  true  human  nature,  continuing  one   person,  and  that  he 
truly  and  fully  satisfied  the  justice  of  God  by  his  sufferings  ?  whence 
is  it,  that  we  confess  a  divine,  effectual  and  heart  changing  grace, 
through  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  not  the  word  of  God  the 
only  book  that  prescribes  and  enforceth  these  things  ?  the  book  of 
God  is  our  only   principle  ;  from  that  alone  have  we  derived  all  our 
tioctrines  ;  by  that  we  *vill  be  tried,  and  to  that  book  alone  do  we  sub= 
mit  our  wl^ole  doctrine.     If  we  err,  we  must  err,  because  we  exalt 
the  holy  book  of  God  too  high,  and  humble  the  sinner  too  low  by  it, 
that  we  commend  the  grace  of  God  too  much,  and  thus  comfort  the 
delivered  sinner  too  much,  and  excite  him  too  powerfully  to  holiness 
and  to  glorify  God.     O  happy  and  blessed  error  !  by  which,  sinking 
ciown  in  our  own  sinful  nothingness,  and  swallowed  up  in  the  sea  of 
God's  all  sufiicjent  grace,  we  lose  ourselves  altogether  in  his  honour, 
Uiat  we  may  be  nothing  at  all,  and  liii  alone  may  be  ^11  in  all  to 
eternity. 

If  we  will  not  be  enthusiasts,  Vvho  teach  indifferently  whatever- 
occurs  to  their  minds,  (as  they  pretend)  through  the  Spirit,  without 
-vibove  and  contrary  to  the  word  of  God,  we  need  not,  hov.'ever,  be 
natural  men,  who  have  not  the  Spirit,  as  if  we  would  banish  the  Spirit 
out  of  the  church.     For  we  knov/  very  well  from  the  word  of  God 
that  "the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  ; 
tnat  they  are  foolishness  to  him,  and  that  he  cannot  know  them,  be- 
cause they  are  spiritually  discerned,"   I  Cor.   ii.  14.     We  teach  a 
i^ving,  eft'ectual  enlightening,  regeneration,  repentance,  faith,  sane- 
tification,  consolation,  leading  and   preservation  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
But  we  deny  that  the  Holy  Spirit  takes  the  word  out  of  our  hands, 
when  he  leads  us  :  for   he  influenceth  the  minds  of  those  whom  he 
favours  with,  and  according  to  his  word  :  with,  by  and  in  subservi- 
ence to  the  word  he  enlightens  and  persuades  the  understanding,  so 
that  it  contemplates  the  mysteries  of  God  with  a  persuasion  of  mind: 
••  we.see  the  light  in  God's  light,"  Psalm  xxxvi.  9.  "  He  shines  into 
tbe  hecirt  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  m 
the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,"  2  Cor.  iv.  6.  and  thus  "  the  gospel  comes 
not  in  word  only,  but  also  in  power,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  iiv 
much  assurance,"  Ii  Thess.  i.  5.  so  that  "  we  receive  the  word  preach- 
ed, not  as  the  word  of  men,  but  as  it  is  in  truth,  as  the  word  of  God  ; 
>\hich  effectually  v  orketh  in  them  that  biilieve,"  1  Thcss.  ii.  13. 


PREFACE.  x!x 

Whereby  the  will  is  also  sweetly  and  heartily  persuaded,  and  thus 
powerfully  moved  by  the  Spirit  to  cleave  to  the  Lord,  and  to  fulfill 
his  will,  in  obedience  to  him.  See  Ezek.  xxxvi.  26,  27.  Yea,  the 
believer  "  is  changed  by  the  Spirit  after  the  glory  of  Christ,"  which 
is  exhibited  by  the  word,  2  Cor.  iii.  18.  And  he  is  "  made  free  by 
knowing  the  truth,"  John  viii.  32. 

When  we  will  not  allow  reason  a  higher  authority  than  the  word, 
or  an  equal  authority  with  the  word,  nor  say  that  free  will  consists  in 
indifference,  but  that  it  is  in  bondage  to  sin,  and  a  servant  of  it,  do 
we  then  deny  our  reason  and  will,  and  declare  our  reason  and  will  to 
be  useless  ?  By  no  means.  We  think  that  we  cannot  apprehend  the 
divine  mysteries,  except  by,  and  with  our  reason,  and  that  we  cannot 
be  converted  and  wrought  upon,  unless  with  our  will.  But  we  say 
that  reason  hath  not  an  equal  authority  with  the  word  of  God,  much 
less  a  higher  authority  than  the  word,  obliging  us  to  believe  it :  yea, 
that  reason,  as  it  exists  at  present  in  every  sinner  without  the  actual 
enlightening  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  dark,  foolish,  and  confused :  see 
1  Cor.  ii.  14,  and  that  the  will  is  "a  will  of  the  flesh,  and  of  the 
mind,"  Eph.  ii.  3.  yea,  that  it  neither  can,  nor  will,  nor  can  be  will- 
ing to  love  that  which  is  good  in  a  saving  manner,  nor  convert  itself: 
although  the  sinner,  in  consequence  of  his  reasonable  nature,  always 
remains  capable  of  conversion,  and  when  God  converts  him,  is 
wrought  upon  in  a  reasonable  manner,  his  understanding  and  reason 
are  enlightened,  and  he  thereby  becomes  capable  of  apprehending 
spiritual  things  with  his  reason,  according  to  the  measure  of  their  reve- 
lation ;  and  he  thus  becomes  willing,  when  he  was  before  unwilling, 
and  cries  of  his  own  accord,  uncompelled,  and  willingly  to  the  Lord, 
"Turn  thou  me,  and  I  shall  be  turned,"  Jer.  xxxi.  18.  for  "God 
takes  the  stony  heart  from  him  and  gives  him  a  heart  of  flesh,"  Ezek. 
xxxvi.  26. 

As  we  do  not  deny  the  efficacious  working  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
although  we  are  not  enthusiasts ;  nor  that  men  possess  reason  and  a 
will,  though  we  are  not  Pelagians  ;  so  also  we  will  not  deny  that  the 
Lord  hvMth  given  a  certain  power  to  his  church,  and  ordered  that  she 
should  be  governed  by  overseers,  although  we  will  not  submit  to  the 
Popish  yoke,  because  it  is  too  Antichristian.  We  know  that  we 
ought  to  "  acknowledge  them  who  labour  in  the  church,  are  over  her 
in  the  Lord,  and  admonish  her ;  and  that  we  ought  to  esteem  them 
very  highly  in  love  for  their  works  sake,"  1  Thess.  v.  12,  13.  See 
also  Matt.  xvi.  19.  xviii.  17,  18,  2  Cor.  x.  8.  xiii.  10.  Heb.  xiii.  17. 
and  what  we  have  said  on  the  thirty  first  Lords  day.  But  this  power 
is  only  ministerial,  and  not  superior  to  the  word,  much  less  contrary 


4bt  PREFACE. 

to  it,  taking'  it  from  the  members  of  the  church,  and  rendering;  it 
useless  to  them.  This  power  must  be  merely  subservient  to  the  word, 
subduing,  and  rendering  tiie  mind  of  every  person  obedient  to  it. 
See  2  Cor.  x.  4,  5,  6  But  we  ought  not,  in  matters  of  faith,  to 
"  call  any  man  oui  master  or  father,  because  Christ  only  is  a  master, 
and  God  only  a  father"  in  this  respect,  Matt,  xxiii.  8,  9,  10. 

And  therefore  wc  think  that  we  may,  without  any  oficnce,  esteem 
the  Keformed  or  Protestant  church  to  be  the  true  church,  and  her 
doctrine  to  be  pure,  according  to,  and  on  account  of  the  word  of  God. 

The  other  matter,  reader,  which  so  greatly  concerns  thee  and 
every  other  person,  is,  that  it  bel-.oovcs  thee  to  inquire  whether  thou 
art  in  a  state  of  grace,  a  child  of  God,  the  property  of  Christ,  a  tem- 
ple of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  so  a  true  member  of  the  church  of  God. 
It  will  not  suffice  to  render  thee  eternally  happy  here  and  hereafter, 
that  thou  conversest  in  the  true  church,  as  an  outward  member,  and 
that  thy  name  is  enrolled  in  the  register  of  the  church  :  many  such 
"  children  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  into  utter  darkness,"  Matt, 
viii.  12.  We  may  be  in  the  true  church,  and  be  without  grace.  See 
Matt.  xxii.  11,  14.  There  is  chaff  as  well  as  wheat  in  the  thresh- 
ingfloor  of  the  church.  There  are  vessels  of  dishonour,  as  well  as 
of  honour  in  the  house  of  Ciod.  There  are  more  evil  than  good 
hearers  of  the  word.  There  were  many  in  the  church  of  Sardis,  who 
were  dead,  while  they  had  the  name,  that  they  were  alive,  and  there 
were  but  {cw,  who  had  not  defiled  their  garments.  In  the  family  of 
Noah  there  was  also  a  wicked  Ham,  and  in  that  of  Abraham  there 
was  an  Ishmael :  Esau  was  a  son  of  Isaac  £tnd  Rebekah,  as  well  as 
Jacob.  The  carnal  Israelites  ate  and  drank  also  of  the  spiritual  meat 
and  drink,  I  Cor.  x.  1,5.  Among  the  companions  of  Jesus  there 
were  some  who  forsook  him,  and  Judsis,  one  of  the  apostles,  was  a 
devil,  John  vi.  66,  70,  71.  It  is  no  sign  that  a  person  is  in  a  good 
state,  when  he  enjoys  the  outward  privileges  of  the  church.  See 
Luke  xiii.  24,  27.  Although  thou  wert  a  teacher  of  the  church, 
thine  office  would  not  make  thee  a  christian  inwardly,  nor  pieserve 
tiiee  from  perdition.  See  Matt.  vii.  22  23.  A  person  may  "  be 
enlightened,  taste  the  heavenly  gift,  be  made  a  partaker  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  taste  the  good  word  of  God,  and  the  powers  of  the  world  to 
come,"  and  nevertheless  be  destitute  of  those  "  better  things  which 
accompany  salvation,  and  so  fall  away/'  Heb.  iv.  4,  9.  Therefore 
inquire  with  concern  how  it  is  with  thee  in  this  respect,  whether 
thou  be  a  christian  in  the  letter,  or  in  the  spirit :  whether  thy  work 
be  in  appearance  only,  or  or  in  truth  ;  whether  the  root  of  the  mat- 
ter be  in  thee,  or  not.    God  desireth  truth  in  the  inward  parts  ;  thou 


PREFACE.  xxi 

i;ast  the  greatest  concern  in  this  affair ;  it  is  a  matter,  upon  which 
thy  salvation  and  damnation  depends.  Therefore  "  examine  thyself" 
again  and  ap:ain,  "  whether  thou  be  in  the  faith,  prove  thine  own- 
self,"  2  Cor.  xiii.  5.  Zeph.  ii.  1,2.  Dost  thou  obtain  the  Spirit, 
who  causeth  thee  to  know  the  things  which  are  freely  given  thee 
of  God,  rejoice,  thank  him,  and  conduct  thyself  worthy  of  his  won- 
derful and  free  grace,  and  endeavour  to  render  others  partakers  of 
St,  and  to  allure  them  to  communion  with  God.  and  comfort  his  peo- 
ple with  the  consolation,  wherewith  God  hath  comforted  thee.  Dost 
thou  perceive  that  thou  art  yet  destitute  of  the  essentials  of  Christi- 
anity, give  thyself  no  rest,  but  earnestly  endeavour  to  partake  of  the 
Redeemer  Christ  entirely,  and  to  become  his  property. 

These  two  important  matters  are  also  seriously  urged  by  the  Hei- 
delberg catechism.     For  in  the  first  place  it  forbids  us  to  teach  and 
believe  any  thing,  which  the  gospel  doth  not  teach  us,  and  which 
God  hath  not  revealed  to  us  in  his  word.     See  questions  19,   21,  22- 
It  instructs  us  in  the   great  mystery  of  the  divine  Trinity,  and  the 
blessed  dispensation  of  the  Triune  God,  only  because  Ciod  hath  re- 
vealed himself  thus   in  his  word,  questions  24,  25.     When  it  treats 
of  the  nature,  kind,  and  efficacy  of  the  sacraments,  it  appeals  only 
to  the  word  of  God,  Questions  71,   fZ,  and  it  humbleth   the  sinner 
to  the  lowest  degree  according  to  that  word  :  it  exalts  the  grace  of 
God  to  the  highest,  in  order  to  comfort  and  quiet  the  humbled  sinner 
in  a  clear  and  effectual  manner,  and  upon  certain  grounds  :  and  it 
urges  in  the  most  forcible   manner  the  deli  ered  sinner  to  a  holy 
gratitude,  and  to  glorify  the  infinitely  gracious   God.     On  the  other 
hand  it  shoY,rs  for  examination  how  a  person,  who  becomes  the  entire 
property  of  Christ,  and  therefore  a  partaker  of  the  only  comfort  and 
the  supreme  good,  is  led  and  influenced  by  God,  and  how  one,  who 
is  destitute  of  this,  may  attain  to  it  by  humiliation,  a  true  faith  in  the 
only  and  perfect  Saviour,  and  an  evangelical  hoHness,  and  gratitude. 
We  have  endeavoured  to  follov/  our  instructor  in  this  path,  when 
"  we  have  frequently  shown  from  the  doctrines  which  we  have  ex- 
plained according  to  the  word  of  God,  both  the  falsehood  of  the  doc- 
trine of  our  adversaries,  and  the  purity  and  truth  of  the  doctrine  of 
our  reformed  church.     After  treating  of  an  important  benefit,  we 
have  shown  by  certain  marks,  which  are  found  in  every  believer,  and 
in  believers  only,  who  nre  the  real  partakers  of  such  a  great  benefits 
We  conceive  indeed  that  no  mi'n  can  improve  a  benefit  to  his  spiritual 
advantage  and  comfort,  unless  he  be  conscious,  that  he  hath  an  indis- 
putable right  to  that  benefit  :  and  that  even  the  favourites  of  God 
are  often  exceedingly  uncertain,  perplexed,  and  doubtful  whether 

D 


xxii  PREFACE, 

they  have  truth  in  their  inward  parts.  It  was  necessary  then,  m 
order  that  we  might  speak  comfortiibly  to  the  children  of  God,  that 
we  should  exhibit  the  work  of  God,  which  he  had  wrought  in  their 
souls,  plainly  by  evidences,  that  they  might  behold  it  on  every  side, 
and  as  it  were  near  at  hand,  and  thus  obtain  assurance  of  heart  be- 
fore the  Lord.  We  thought  also  that  it  was  our  duty  to  separate  the 
vile  from  the  precious,  and  that  we  ought  therefore  to  show  by  evi- 
dences who  also  deceived  themselves  with  false  imaginations,  that 
thc*y  mii^ht  recover  themselves  out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil  in  which 
they  are  taken  captive  at  his  will,  and  might  thus  flee  from  the  wrath 
to  come.  We  are  the  less  scrupulous  about  treating  souls  in  this 
detecting  manner,  because  we  observe  that  the  word  of  God  precedes 
us  in  this  method ;  for  it  calleth  the  sinner  again  and  again  to  him- 
self, and  admonisheth  him  seriously  to  examine  and  prove  himself: 
the  holy  prophets  and  apostles  often  proposed  to  the  people,  and 
earnestly  insisted  upon  certain  evidences  of  a  person's  good  and  evil 
condition.  See  only  at  present  the  eighth  chapter  of  Paul's  epistle 
to  the  Romans,  and  the  epistles  of  John,  which  contain  many  eviden- 
ces of  this  kind.  We  are  not  apprehensive  that  sinners  will  be  driven 
by  this  method  of  instruction  to  an  irrecoverable  despair,  like  Cain 
and  Judas,  who  after  all  did  not  arrive  to  that  phrensy  through  a 
particular  discovery  of  their  graceless  condition  by  evidences,  but 
through  their  own  enormous  abominations,  which  rendered  their 
consciences  outrageous.  Hast  thou,  reader,  ever  observed  that  any 
person  was  brought  to  such  a  total  despair  through  a  serious  dis- 
covery of  his  condition  to  him.  I  ask  not,  whether  thou  hast  ever 
seen  any  person,  who  attained  to  a  conviction,  that  he  was  yet  grace- 
less, and  was  exceedingly  troubled  on  account  of  this  ;  for  such  trou- 
ble is  salutary,  and  reriders  the  sinner  susceptible  of  the  divine  gracco 
See  Mati.  v.  3,  6,  ix.  12,  13.  It  is  also  produced  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
John  xvi.  8,  9.  and  it  rendered  Peter's  sermon  profitable.  Acts  ii.  37. 
But  1  ask  vv'hether  thou  hast  ever  seen  any  person,  who  was  reduced 
to  an  irrecoverable  despair  of  the  grace  of  God  by  such  a  serious 
discovery,  and  by  exhibiting  certain  evidences  to  him  ?  I  have  not  s 
I  have  indeed  seen  only  one  person  in  all  my  life,  who  truly 
and  entirely  despaired  of  the  grace  of  God,  and  that  out  of  my 
congrc'.^ation  :  v/hich  person  did  not  arrive  to  that  despair  by  a 
serious  and  soul  alarming  sermon,  and  by  an  exhibition  of  evidences, 
but  by  his  own  wilful  ungodhness.  Truly  wc  need  not  be  afraid  that 
v;c  will  render  any  person  too  uneasy  by  a  frequent  proposing  of  evi- 
dences, and  by  a  particular  address  to  him,  in  the  second  person  ^ 
our  people  are  indeed  too  insensible,  they  are  not  so  easily  influenc- 


PREFACE.  ^xia 

ed  to  rcpentance.  The  prophets  and  apostles  did  not  speak  so  gen- 
e-rally to  ths  people,  and  inform  them  that  there  were  such  and  such 
wicked  persons  in  the  \yorId,  and  in  the  church :  but  they  used 
to  address  the  guilty  in  a  direct  manner,  and  say,  "  Thou  art  the 
man"  1  Sam.  xii.  7.  "  Thou  hast  neither  part  nar  lot  in  this  mat- 
ter," Acts  viii-  21.  «4  Thou  child  of  the  devil."  Sec,  Acts  xiii.  10,  1 1. 
'.•  O  foolish  Galatians,"  &c.  Gal.  iii.  1,  3,  4.  v.  2,  7.  This  is  also 
required  by  the  national  synod  of  Wesel,  holden  in  the  year  1561, 
when  it  saith,  "  They  shall  direct  all  that  they  say  to  these  two  prin- 
cipal points  of  the  gospel,  to  wit,  faith  and  conversion  :  and  the 
preachers,  in  doing  this,  shall  aim  at,  as  their  only  mark,  and  incul- 
cate the  true  mortification  and  quickening  of  man :  they  shall  en- 
deavour to  penetrate  with  their  sermons,  as  much  as  possible,  through 
all  the  secret  veils,  and  into  all  the  hiding  places  of  the  souls  ot  their 
hearers  ;  and  not  only  dwell  upon  gross  acts  of  iniquity,  and  public 
sins,  but  also  expose  the  hidden  hypocrisy  of  the  heart,  and  bring 
forth  thence  to  light,  and  remove  in  the  most  convenient  manner, 
that  seed-plot  and  sink  of  all  manner  of  ungodliness,  pride,  unthank- 
fulness,"  £cc.  In  this  manner  have  we  also  endeavoured  not  only  to 
lop  oft'  certain  unfruitful  branches,  which  bear  gall  and  wormwood, 
but  also  to  penetrate,  as  much  as  we  were  able  to  the  bottom  of  the 
heart,  and  so  to  the  root  of  iniquity,  and  to  lay  it  bare,  that  this  evil 
tree  might  fall  and  die  of  its  own  accord. 

Suffer  me,  my  worthy  reader,  to  detain  thee  yet  a  little,  while  I 
say  something  to  thee  concerning  our  excellent  Heidelberg  cate- 
chism. When,  being  yet  a  young  man,  I  entertained  a  desire,  and 
being  doubtful  of  myself,  I  had  a  serious  disposition  to  work  out  my 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling,  I  presently  set  a  high  value  upon 
this  little  book,  because  I  perceived  that  it  would  contribute  to  the 
attainment  of  my  object.  I  observed  that  it  proposed  in  a  very  per- 
spicuous manner  the  method  in  which  God  conducted  skiners  to  sal- 
vation by  discovering  to  them  their  misery,  deliverance  and  grati- 
tude :  it  shewed  me  the  true  nature  of  the  exercises  of  miserable 
souls,  of  those  who  were  seeking  to  be  saved,  and  of  those  who  were 
thankful ;  and  what  seemed  exceedingly  striking  and  beautiflil  to  me 
was,  that  the  instructor  introduced  his  pupil,  as  speaking  concerning 
the  exercises  of  a  convinced,  believing,  and  holy  person,  as  his  ouii, 
and  not  proposing  the  heads  of  doctrine  only  as  positive  truths.  The 
more  I  saw  these  things  in  this  little  book,  the  more  I  was  enamour- 
ed with  it.  I  was  exceedingly  grieved,  when  I  heard  Papists,  Soci- 
nians,  and  Remonstrants,  with  whom  I  conversed  much  in  my  youth, 
Opeak  reproachfully  of  it.    But  I  do  net  regret  it,  it  hath  been  oj[  so 


..^^  PREFACE. 

much  the  more  service  to  me.   I  was  also  induced  thereby  to  publish 
this  treatise  of  mine  upon  that  little  book,  that  I  might,  if  possible^ 
edify  others  by  it,  heartily  wishing  that  they  may  derive  the  same, 
yea,  greater  advantage  from  it,  than  I  have  derived.     Let  no  man 
nevertheless  be  so  ill  natured,  as  to  think  that  I,  or  any  other  of  our 
denomination,  look  upon  the  catechism  as  a  little  bible,     Wc  would 
rather  see  it  and  all  other  good  books  banished  out  of  the  world,  than 
that  it  should  be  equalled  with  the  v;ord  of  God,  which  was  imme- 
diately and  infallibly  inspired  by  himo     We  believe  the  doctrines  of 
the  catechism,  not  on  account  of  the  cni^ichisrn,  but  or,ly  on  account 
of  the  word  of  God,  out  of,  and  according  to  which  the  catechism 
•was  composed.    Do  we  esteem  this  little  book,  v.^e  nevertheless  love 
the  word  of  God  still  more.     We  commend  this  treatise,  only  be- 
cause it  explains  the  book  of  God  clearly  to  us,  and  recommends  it 
to  us.     They  who  report  of  us  that  we  consider  the  catechism  as 
our  little  bible,  know  better  ;  at  least  they  would  know  better,  if  they 
did  not  foster  bitter  envy  and  strife   in   their  hearts.     No  man  wiU 
speak  disparagingly  of  the  catechism,  who  knows  how  it  was  intro- 
duced into  the  world,  for  what  purpose  it  was  composed,  in  what 
manner  it  was  received,  combatted  and  established,  and  of  how  great 
advatange  it  hath  been  to  the  church. 

It  is  known,  that  it  v/as  composed  by  Zacharias  Ursiniis  and  Cas- 
parus  Olevianus,  both  exceedingly  famous  divines  and  professors  in 
the  university  of  Heidelberg,  at  the  conamand  of  Frederick  the  third, 
prince  Palatine,  surnamed  the   pious.     The  occasisn  of  composing; 
it,  was,  that  the  Ubiquitists,  a  sect  of  Lutherans,  who  held  that   the 
body  of  Christ  was  omnipresent,  being  desirous  of  introducing  their 
opinion  in  a  violent   and  furious  manner,  opposed  the  orthodox  by 
every  method :  "  The  schools,"  says  that  famous  prince  Palatine,  in 
the  preface  to  the  catechism,  "  were  fallen  into  contempt,  the  tender 
youth  were  neglected,  there  was  no  steady  nor  uniform  m.ethod  o(' 
teaching  the  doctrines  of  Christianity.     Hence  it  came  to  pass,  that 
the  unskillful  youth  were  not  rightly  instructed,  or  according  to  any 
certain  rule  ;  but  just  as  every  teacher  fancied  ;  or  they  were  not 
instructed  at  all,  but  rem.aincd  entirely  stupid  and  ignorant,"  &c.    It 
was  the  design  of  that  excellent  prince  to  establish  by  this  catechism 
a  general  form  of  hannonious  doctrines  for  the  churches  and  schools. 
Thus  he  speaks  in  his  preface,  "  Therefore  we  ordered  our  divines, 
and  the  pastors  of  the  churches  in  our  electoral  principality  to  com- 
pose a  catechism,  that  is,  a  brief  oral  instruction  in  the  principal  doc- 
trines of  the  christian  religion,  in  German  and  Latin,  from  the  word 
of  God  ;  that  the  preachers  and  schoolmasters  might  have  a  certain 


P  R  E  F  A  C  lil.  XXV 

tend  fixed  form,  accordino^  to  which  they  mii^ht  instruct  the  tender 
youth  in  the  churches  and  schools,  to  the  end  thar  they  might  not 
brino-  in  new  doctrines,  according  to  their  own  fancies,  or  propose 
such  as  agreed  not  with  the  word  of  Cod."  bee  also  Melchiov  .Kdams 
in  the  life  of  Uisinus,  pa;;,  mihi,  534. 

Thus  was  this  catechism  composed,   revised,  and,  as  agreeable  to 
the  word  of  God,  approved  by  the  piincipal  divinr-s  of  the  Palatu  ale, 
assembled   for  that  purpose.     It  was  printed  first  at   Heidelberg,  in 
the  year  1563,  and  recommended  to  the  churches  and  schools  of  the 
Palatinate,  that  it  might  serve  for  the   maintenance  of  an  uniform 
method  of  instruction,  inotder  to  prevent  divisicns  and  schisms,  and 
to  avert  the  reproaches,  that  were  cast  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  Pala- 
tine churches.     Moreover,  the  pious  Prince  Palatine  sent  this  cate- 
chism to  all  the  Refoi'med  churches,  in  every  part   of  Christendom, 
who  approved  of  it,  as  appears  from  the  answers  of  those  churches, 
deposited  in  the   archives  of  the  Palatinate.     See  the  ecclesiasical 
history  of  James  Trigland,  page    360,     The  light    of  evangelical 
truth,  beaming  forth  with  so  much  splendor  in  the  Palatinate,  shone 
too  Dright  to  remain  within  the  limits  of  that  country,   it  broke  pre- 
sently through  to  our  dear  Nether  ands,   where  this   catec'u^m  was 
also  soon   known,  translated  and  printed,  and,  as  agreeable   to  the 
word  of  God,   adopted  in  the  synod  of  Embden^   in  the  year  1571 
where  it  was  also  thought  necessary,  tl  at  v/e  should  use  it   in  the 
churches  of  the  Netherlands  ;  this  was  further  renewed,  and  cnjon- 
cd  in  the  national  synod  of  Dordrecht  in   the  year  1578.     And  once 
more  in  the  national  synod  of  Dordrecht,  in  the  year  1618  and  1619, 
where   it  was  revised,  approved,    and   estabiished,    and  highly  com- 
mended by  the  foreign  divines,  who  were  invited  to  the  synod,  and 
especially   by  the  divines   of  Great  Britain.     Hear   what    Triglund 
baith  of  this  in   his  history  of  the  church,   page  1 145.     "  I  well  re- 
member," saith  that  learned  man,  "  what  I  have  also  frequently,  and 
\ipon   different  occasions  related,    that  the   divines  of  Great  Britain 
highly  extolled  that  little  book,  and  said  that  neither  their  churches, 
nor  the  French   had   such  a  suitable  catechism  :  that  the  men  who 
liad  composed  it,  had  been  unusually  asiiisttd  by  the   Spirit  of  God 
at  the  time,  that  they  had  in   sundry  other  matters  excelled  several 
divines,  but  in  composing  that  cutechisn^,  they  had  excelled  them- 
selves.*' 

He  who  doth  evil  liateth  the  light :  that  whicli  is  opposed  by  none 
but  evil  men  must  be  good  :  and  v,'e  ougiit  to  hi;ve  a  higher  opinion 
of  this  catechism  as  orthodox,  because  so  many  men  of  a  corrupt 
mind  have  v.'i'.hstood  and   cbmbatt-d  it  with   all  tlieir  ii;ight,  ths^ 


XXVI 


PREFACE. 


Ihey  might,  if  possible,  banish  it  out  of  the  church,  as  though  it  were 
ciroijcous.  Tins  booK  was  no  sooner  pubUshed,  than  it  was  fiercely 
anacked  by  the  Ubiquitsts :  see  what  ivlelchior  Adams  relates  con- 
cerning tins  matter  in  the  Hfe  of  Zacharias  Ursinus,  page  534,  535, 
and  not  by  those  only,  but  also  by  the  Papists.  These  stirred  up  the 
empcrou;  against  it,  so  that  he  ordered  the  pious  Prince  Palatine, 
without  hearing  him,  to  suppress  iiis  catechism,  and  threatened  that 
if  he  reiused,  he  should  not  be  acknowledged  an  evangel'cal  prince 
but  should  he  excluded  from  the  religious  peace  and  from  the  em- 
pire. But  this  gallant  hero,  laying  his  catechism  beside  his  bible, 
declared  that  he  would  defend  that  li'tle  book  against  any  one,  who 
would  dis])ute  with  hmi  which  so  affected  the  emperour,  that  he 
said  to  him,  "  Frederick,  thou  art  the  most  pious  of  us  all  ;"  upon 
which  he  suspended,  and  annulled  his  decree,  and  tolerated  the  cate- 
chism :  yea,  some  of  the  states,  who  were  present,  also  subscribed 
it:  and  this  oppjsirjon  added  new  lustre  to  the  catechism.  The 
Papists,  thwarted  in  this  manner,  ceased  not  however  to  attack  the 
catechism  again  and  again,  in  order  to  extirpate  it.  A  certain  John 
Andrews  Koppeiisttin,  a  Dominicsn  monk  and  parish  priest  at  Hei-. 
delberg,  laboured  in  particular  more  than  ary  of  his  party,  to  alienate 
the  church  of  Heidelberg  from  her  catechism,  and  seduce  her  un- 
awares *o  follow  the  beast,  and  to  worship  him  :  he  showed  for  thi^ 
purpose  horns  like  tliose  of  the  Lamb,  but  he  spoke  like  the  dragon, 
wiien  he  wrote  against  this  catechism  his  "  Uncalvinized  calvinistic 
Heidelberg  catechism."  He  was  wonderfully  skillful  in  showing  the 
horns  of  the  Lamb,  while  he  spoke  like  the  dragon,  and  in  chang- 
ing the  language  of  the  church  in  our  catechism  into  the  language 
of  the  whore  of  Rome,  almost  in  every  qtiestion  ;  observe  for  in- 
stance our  fifth  quesiion  ;  '^  Canst  thou  keep  all  these  things  per- 
fectly." He  answers,  "  wajr/me,"  certainly,  or  exceedingly,  or  '*  very 
well  with  God."  For  I  am  by  nature,  although  corrupt,  "  inclined 
with  the  help  of  grace,  to  love"  God  and  my  neighbour:  And  in 
this  manner  doth  he  sport  with  almost  every  question  of  our  cate- 
chism.  i3ut  he  hath  been  completely  answered  by  many,  and  par- 
ticularly by  Theodorus  Strakkius 

The  Remonstrants  opposed  the  catechism  no  less  than  thescc 
When  they  proposed  to  introduce  a  nevv^  doctrine  into  the  church, 
they  lell  presently  upon  this  book  ;  for  they  saw  that  they  were 
condemned  in  it.  They  lay  hid,  and  concealed  themselves  with 
secrecy  :  when  they  were  asked  v/hat  fault  they  found  with  the  doc- 
trine of  the  church,  they  would  not  declare  it,  except  in  a  national 
synod,  and  ihev  laboured  in  the  mean  while  by  evjry  contrivance  in. 


PREFACE.  xxvfi 

fneir  power  to  hinder  the  calling  of  a  free  synod.     If  a  synod  shoul<f 
he  called,  it  ought,  as  they  fancied,  to  revise  the  Netherland  confes- 
sion, and  the  Heidelberg-  catechism,  and  we  ought  to  discharge  the 
members  of  the  synod  from  their  obligation   to  that  catechism  and 
confession.     What  artifices  !  their  design  was  soon  detected  by  the 
Orthodox,  which  was  only  to  beget  a  suspicion,  that  these   formulas 
agreed  not  in  every  respect  with  the  word  of  God.     Truly  with  no 
other  design  but  to  expose  the  reformed  church  to  contempt,  as 
though   she   had  adopted  them  without  having  carefally  examined 
them,  or  without  having  deliberately  considered  them,  and  as  if  she 
were  not  sufficiently  established  and  assured  of  her  own  faith  express- 
ed in  those  writings.     And  about  what  things  in  those  books  were 
they  scrupulous  ?  they  did  not  alledge  aught  but  trifles  ;  if  they  had 
any  thing  that  was  weighty,  they  durst  not  mention  it,  lest  they 
should  expose  themselves  too  much,  and  afford  more  reason  to  sus- 
pect that  they  colluded  with  the  Socinians,  as  the  event  hath  also 
sufficiently  shown.    See  what  they  alledged  in  Tringland's  history  of 
the  church,  page  373,   378.     See  also  Low  Henry  Alting  hath  de- 
fended the  catechism  against  all  their  cavils,  and  against  the  Socini- 
an  heresies,  Explic.  et  vindic.  catcch.  Pal. 

But  the  catechism  was  never  more  shamefully  abused  than  by 
Pontian  Van  Hattem,  with  his  party,  for  a  cloak  of  his  shame,  in 
order  to  conceal  his  Spinosism  and  atheism,  and  introduce  them 
covertly  into  the  church.  He  thought  that  Spinosa  had  a  good  cause, 
but  that  he  would  have  succeeded  better,  if  he  had  disguised  his  in- 
tentions with  the  catechism.  Is  it  matter  of  wonder,  that  this  man, 
and  those  of  his  party  sport  so  with  this  book  ?  he  sports  in  the  same 
manner  with  the  bible  also :  these  men  conceal  all  their  profane 
phrases  with  the  language  of  the  word  of  God,  and  of  his  church  : 
therefore  they  speak  highly  of  regeneration,  of  the  old  and  new 
man,  of  the  flesh  and  Spirit,  &c.  See  what  Mr.  John  V^an  der 
Waaijen  hath  observed  on  this  subject  in  his  letter  to  Pontian  Van 
Hattem,  and  how  Mr.  Charles  Tuinman  hath  exposed  those  men 
in  his  writings  against  them. 

The  great  advantages,  that  the  churches,  in  which  this  catechisn* 
hath  been  used,  have  reaped  from  it,  ought  also  to  uphold  its  credit 
among  us.  For  it  hath  not  only  afforded  a  great  knowledge  of  the 
divine  mysteries  to  those,  who  have  used  it  diligently,  and  have  ex- 
ercised themselves  well  in  it,  but  it  hath  also  induced  preachers,  who 
might  otherwise  have  become  backward  to  cultivate  the  divine  truths, 
to  persevere  in  their  labours,  and  it  hath  repeatedly  animated  them 
to  exercise  themselves  mor«  emd  more  iu  these  mysteries,  dnce 


P  R  E  F  A  C  Eo  xxviii 

they  ave  obliged  to  pursue  the  thread  of  this  catechism  weekly  in 
their  sermons.     We  may  also  ascribe  it  in  some  measure  to  the 
^techism,  as  a  mean,  that  the  Netherlands  have  cleaved  so  long  to 
the  pure  doctrine  of  the  truth,  since  it  restrains  such  as  have  itching 
ears  within  a  certain   bond,  out  of  which  they  cannot  easily  break 
loose,  WJtliout  being  speedily  detected.     I  will  adopt  here  the  words 
of  Peter  De  Wit,  in  his  dedication,  prefixed  to  his  explanation  of  the 
catechism,  "  Blessed   be  that  divine   work,  the  catechism  ;  bless-d 
be  the  hearts  that  firsi  conceived  it,  the  mouths  that  first  contained 
it,  the  hands  and  pens  that  laboured  at  it,  and  brought  it  to  such  a 
desirable  issue.     The  churches  have  reaped  the  wished  for  benefits 
from  it  by  the  blessing  of  God.     The  catechism  hath  been  the 
deathwound  of  those  who  were  given  to  change."     The  Lord,  who 
hath  so  long  preserved  his  church  in  the   Netlicrlands  in  his  truth, 
set  forth  in  the  catechism,  agreeably  to  his  written  word,  grant  that 
this  truth  may  be  more  and  more  illustrated,  and  confirmed,  and 
that  every  one,  delivered  from  his  misapprehension,  may  cleave  to 
the  truth  in  love,  may  be  made  free  by  it,  sanctified  in  it,  and  chang- 
ed according  to  it ! 

I  will  add  only  one  word  more,  before  I  conclude.  As  it  doth  not 
befit  me  highly  to  extol  this  work  of  mine  on  the  catechism,  that 
"  1  may  not  become  a  fool  in  glorying,"  so  it  would  also  be  unseemly 
in  me  to  ask  pardon  of  my  reader  for  many  things,  and  thus  cry, 
before  I  am  beaten.  Dost  thou  find  aught  in  it  that  deserves  cen- 
sure, I  trust  that  thou  wilt  also  find  something  in  it  that, will  edify 
thee.  Dost  thou  observe  here  and  there  a  grammatical  or  rheto- 
rical error,  remember  that  there  hath  never  been  a  b«rok.  printed 
yet,  without  some  error  of  this  kind. 

To  conclude,  I  exhort  thee,  my  worthy  reader,  that  thou  endeav- 
our to  contemplate  the  truth  in  its  efficacy,  to  obtain  an  assurance  of* 
it,  through  the  word  and  Spirit  of  the  Lcrd,  and  to  penetrate  through 
it  to  the  things  which  it  proposeth  to  thee,  to  wit,  God  and  Christ, 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  grace  of  the  Lord,  that,  irradiated  with  the 
light  of  God,  thou  mayest  contemplate  the  efficacy  and  splendid 
lustre  of  them,  to  the  end  that  thou  mayest  be  enlightened,  warmed, 
and  enlivened  by  the  truth,  and  changed  by  it  from  glory  to 
glory.  If  thou  derive  such  advantage  from  this  work  of  mine,  thou 
wilt  not  regret  that  thou  hast  made  use  of  it,  I  will  obtain  mine  end, 
*nd  God  will  be  glorified  by  it.  This  is  the  smcere  desire  and  prayer 
of  Thine  affectionate  and  loving  friend  and  servant  ia 

the  work  of  the  Lord, 

JOHN  VANDERKEMR 
Dirl:s!andi  August  ^,  1717, 


THE  CHRISTIAN 
^  ENTIRELY  THE   PROPERTY 

OF    CHRISTc 

I.  LORD'S  DAY. 

THE  ONLY  COMFORT  OF  BELIEVERS. 
Romans  xiv,  7,  8.     For  none  of  us  liveth  to  himself,  and  no  man 
dicth  to  himself.     For  whether  we  live,  we  live  unto  the  Lord  ;   and 
whether  we  die,   we  die  unto  the  Lord :  whether  we  live  therefore 
or  die,  we  are  the  Lord's. 

Q,  L  -  'V  V  HAT  is  thy  only  comfort  in  life  and  death  ? 
A.  That  I  with  body  and  soul,  both  in  life  and  death,  am  not  my 
own,  but  belong  unto  my  faithful  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  who  with  his 
precious  blood  hath  fully  satisfi-d  for  all  my  sins,  and  delivered  me 
from  all  the  power  of  the  devil ;  and  so  preserves  me,  that  without 
the  will  of  my  heavenly  Father,  Hot  a  hair  can  fall  fi'om  my  head  ; 
yea,  that  all  things  mast  be  subservient  to  my  salvation,  and  there- 
fore by  his  holy  Spirit,  he  also  assures  me  of  eternal  life,  and  makes 
me  sincerely  willing  arid  ready,  henceforth,  to  live  unto  him. 

Q.  2.  Hovj  many  things  are  necessary  for  thee  to  knoiVy  that  thou, 
enjoying  this  comfort^  ?nayest  live  and  die  hapfiily  ? 

A.  Three  ;  the  first,  how  great  my  sin&  and  miseries  are  :  the 
second,  how  I  mav  be  delivered  from  all  my  sins  and  miseiies :  the 
thiid,  ho>V  I  shall  express  my  gratitude  to  God  for  such  deliverance. 

No  man  will  pursue  any  work  freely,  unless  he  propose  to  him- 
self some  honourable,  pleasant,  or  profitable  end.  The  end  renders 
the  worker  active.  If  this  were  not  so,  the  most  useful  occupations 
would  be  relinquished,  and  a  man  would  become  more  sluggish  than 
the  most  ^tupid  animal.  Who  would  have  any  inclination  to  exer^ 
cise  himself  in  a  fatiguing  employment,  or  to  expose  his  life  to  the 

E 


i  THE  ONLY  COMFORT  OF  BELIEVERS. 

inclemency  of  a  boisterous  sea,  or  to  unders^o  the  dangers  of  a  haz- 
ardous war,  or  to  practise  any  art  or  science,  or  to  employ  himself 
in  any  mercantile  business,  if  the  hope  of  honour,  pleasure,  or  profit 
did   not    urge    him  on  ?  Reward   certainly  sweetens  and   excites   to 
labour :  Cod  himself,  willing  that  man  should  work  out  his  salva- 
tion with  fear  and  trembling,  encourageth  him  by  rewards.  "  Your 
work  shall  be  rewarded,"  said  the  prophet  to  Asa,  that  he  might  in- 
cite him  to  proceed   with  the  reformation   which  he  had  begun,  2 
Chron.  xv.  7.  Therefore  salvation  is  likened  to  a  crown,  which  was 
wont  to  be  hung  up  at  the   end  of  the  race,  that  the  runners,  fixing 
their  eyes  upon  it,  might  be  encouraged  to  press  on  for  it  with  the 
greater  eagerness.     Paul  hath  an  eye  to  this  custom,  1  Cor   xi.  24, 
2.:>.  Philip,  iii.  12,  IS,  14.  "Moses  had  respect  unto  the  recompence 
of  the  reward."     And  this  caused  him  to  despise  every  other  con- 
sideration, that  he  might  obtain  it,  Heb.  ix.  24,  25,  2f>     What  is  the 
end  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  of  the  Christian  doctrine  ?  Is  it  not 
to  make  the   sinner  everlastingly   happy  ?  "  The  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  which  is  according  to  godliness,  is  also  in  and  unto  the  hope 
of  eternal  life."  Titus  i.  1,  2.  A  man  must  indeed  prcpose  the  glory 
of  God  to  himself  for  his  chief  end  :  but  the  glory  of  God  dot',  not 
oppose  the  happiness  of  man,  but  is  promoted  by  it :  yea,  the  glory  of 
of  God  is  the  salvation  of  man,  and  the  salvation  of  man  is  God's  glory. 
Therefore  the  apostle  saith  that  "  God  will  recompence  rest  to  those 
who  are  troubled,  when  he  shall  come  to  be  glorified  in  his  saints,"  2 
Thess  i   6,  10,  But  in  order  to  succour  the  weakness  of  man,  who  can 
not  form  such  a  perfect  idea  of  the  divine  glory ,*as  of  his  own  welfare, 
and  is  therefore  more  influenced  by  his  own  welfare,  the  Lord  will 
encourage  him  more  by  salvation,  than  by  his  own  glory. 

It  is  therefore  commendable  in  the  teacher  of  the  Christian  doc- 
trine, that  he  sets  before  his  pupil,  first  ot  all,  his  chief  good  and  his 
only  comfort  in  the  first  question,  that  he  may  incite  him  to  a  more 
earnest  inquiry  and  pursuit  after  the  means  to  obtain  that  comfort, 
in  the  second  question  ;  which  are  afterwards  more  fully  explained 
and  enforced  throughout  the  whole  catechism. 
Two  particulars  are  therefore  here  inquired  into  and  explained. 

I.  What  is  the  only  comfort  of  a  Christian  ? 

II.  The  means  by  which  that  comfort  is  to  be  obtained. 

I.  The  instructor  speaks  of  "comfort,"  of  comfort  "in  life  and 
in  death."  of  an  "only"  comfort,  and  particularly  of  "thy"  comfort. 
Comfort  denotes  sometimes  that  cheerful  frame  of  mind,  whereby  a 
person  is  M'ell  disposed  under  any  pressing,  or  apprehended  evil,  ami 
■when  the  evil  is  removed,  is  greatly  rejoiced,  as  we  see  in  Paul,  who 


I.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  1,  2.  3 

was  "  filled  with  comfort,  and  was  exceedingly  joyful  in  all  his  tribu- 
lation," 2  Cor.  vii.  4.  But  sometimes  the  word  comfort  signifies  any 
good  word  or  work,  whereby  such  an  agreeable  frame  is  produced. 
Ill  this  sense  is  the  word  used,  Zech.  i.  13.  "  And  the  Lord  answer- 
ed tlie  angel  that  talked  with  me,  with  good  words,  and  with  com- 
fortable words."  In  this  last  sense  must  the  word  comfort  be  under- 
stood here,  as  the  instructor  shows  in  the  answer. 

Although  life  is  precious  to  a  man,  ("  skin  for  skin,  and  all  that  a 
man  hath  will  he  give  for  his  life :"  this  the  devil  himself  knew, 
Job  i.  4.)  nevertheless  it  is  better  to  die  than  to  live  without  comfort. 
God  hath  created  mm  so,  that  he  c  \n  not  hve  without  refreshment. 
But  he  hath  nothing  in  himself  that  can  comfort  him  ;  he  must  seek 
all,  even  the  least,  out  of  himself;  and  therefore  as  he  is  empty  and 
void  in  himself,  he  pants  and  longs  for  that  which  can  afford  him 
satisfaction,  and  cries  out,  "  Who  will  show  us  any  good  P"  Psalm 
iv.  7. 

If  WQ  contem-plate  man  as  a  sinner,  we  see  that  innumerable  evils 
compass  him  about.  "  He  is  of  few  days,  and  full  ot  trouble,"  Job 
xiv.  1.  He  hath  forfeited  all  that  would  be  good  for  him,  and  he 
hath  deserved  all  that  is  destructive  to  him.  He  is  too  impotent  and 
too  wicked  to  be  able  or  willing  to  seek  his  restoration.  He  hath 
reason  to  fear  every  moment,  that  the  anger  of  God  will  take  him 
away  by  a  dreadful  death,  and  summ  n  him  betare  his  inexorable 
triounal.  As  a  sinner,  he  is  "  Magormissabib,  a  terrour  round  about, 
a  terrour  to  hims-lf,  and  to  all  his  friends,"  Jer.  xx.  3,  4.  Let  him 
strive  ever  so  much  to  be  cheerful,  and  labour  to  banish  all  fear  out 
of  his  heart,  he  hath  notwithstanding  many  severe  twinges  in  his 
soul,  and  '*  even  in  laughter  his  heart  is  sorrowful,"  Prov.  xiv.  13. 

Is  he  a  believer,  and  therefore  beloved  by  the  Lord,  he  hath  still 
need  of  comfort;  for  "  his  afflictions  are  many,"  Psalm,  xxxi-.  19. 
They  are  brought  to  him  in  "  full  cups,"  Psalm  Ixxiii.  10.  All  that 
is  without  him  sets  itself  against  him  :  the  world  is  against  him, 
even  those  of  his  own  household  will  be  his  foes  :  the  devil  is  enrag- 
ed at  him,  and  •'  like  a  roaring  lion,  seeketh  to  devour  him,"  1  Pet. 
V.  8.  The  power  of  his  corruptions  is  a  body  of  death  to  him  :  the 
Lord  his  God  '*  hides  his  countenance,"  sometimes  "  from  him,  deals 
with  him  as  an  enemy,  and  writes  sometimes  bitter  things  against 
him,"  Job  xiii.  24,  26.  And  he  is  often  afraid,  that  his  expectation 
which  he  hath  of  the  life  to  come,  will  forsake  him  in  his  death. 
May  not  the  instructor  then  ask,  v/hat  can  comfort  him  in  his  life  ? 

Ahhough  a  person  could  subsist  without  comfort,  in  his  life,  yet 
he  can  not  be  without  it  in  his  death.  For  that  which  gtill  refresheth^ 


4  THE  ONLY  COMFORT  OF  BELIEVERS, 

Z  man  during  his  life,  becomes  a  burthen  to  him  in  his  death  :  pain 
and  anguish  will  then  cause  him  to  lament  bitterly ;  he  beholds  death 
as  a  king  of  terrours  ;  his  long  smothered  sins  and  hushed  conscience 
begin  to  bestir  themselves,  and  fill  the  soul  with  terrour,  and  the 
fear  of  eternal  destruction  causeth  him  to  cry  out  for  ant^uish  of 
heart.  And  how  many  fears  possess  even  believers  on  their  death 
beds  is  known  to  those,  whose  office  it  is  to  visit  the  sick.*  And 
therefore  the  instructor  hath  weighty  reasons  to  inquire  concerning; 
our  comfort  in  death, 

What  shall  quiet  a  person  amidst  sq  many  distresses  ?  It  must  be 
an  only  comfort.  The  heart  of  man  hath  many  and  insatiable  de- 
sires, and  his  evils  are  manifold :  and  therefore  he  hath  need  of 
many  consolations.  There  is  nothing  in  the  v.'orld  that  can  fully 
satisiy  him  :  though  he  should  have  ever  so  much,  there  will  always 
be  something  besides  what  he  hath  already,  after  which  he  will  pant. 
The  round  world  can  not  fill  the  triangular  heart :  there  is  surely 
nothing  of  all  that  he  seeth,  that  can  support  and  quiet  him  against 
the  fear  of  death  and  God's  insupportable  wrath.  Therefore  he  must' 
endeavour  to  obtain  an  only  comfort,  which  alone  is  sufficient  for  the 
mind  under  every  affliction,  and  at  all  times,  and  which  Avill  thus  be 
*'  a  strong  consolation,"  Heb.  vi.  18.  This  is  called  but  "  one  thing" 
by  David  and  (Christ,  Psalm  xxvii.  4.  Luke  x.  41,  42. 

The  instructor  doth  not  choose  to  fight  at  random^  and  merely 
to  beat  the  air,  but  he  asks  with  application  to  the  man  himself,  what 
is  ''  tny  "  only  comfort  ?  and  he  asks  the  believer  in  particular  this 
question,  that  he  may  learn  of  him,  for  the  information  of  others, 
what  is  the  true  comfort ;  the  believer  knows  it  best :  "  Evil  men 
understand  not  judgment  ;  but  they  that  seek  the  Lord  understand 
all  things,"  Prov.  xxviii.  5.  We  must  nottherefoie  ask  simply  with 
the  captious  Papists  and  Remonstrants,  what  is  the  only  comfort, 
or  what  is  the  only  comfort  of  a  believer  ;  for  every  man  must  be- 
lieve for  himself:  ''the  righteous  must  live  by  his  faith,"  Hab.  ii. 
4.  Lvery  man  must  be  examined  with  respect  to  what  he  himself 
believes,  and  whether  "  he  is  faithful  to  the  Lord,"  Acts  xvi.  15.  Of 
what  profit  is  it  to  know  what  the  comfort  of  others  is,  if  we  our- 
selves do  not  partake  of  it  ? 

What  account  doth  the  believer  now  give  of  this  comfort  of  his  ? 
doth  he  say  with  the  men  of  this  world,   and  with  the  old  philoso- 

*  The  author  hath  respect  to  a  custom  of  the  Dutch  Church  in  Holland,  of 
appointing  a  certain  person  in  the  congregation  a  stated  visitor  of  the  sick, 
whose  business  it  is  to  instruct,  admonish  and  comfort  the  sick,  as  their  ca£S 
TVay  require- 


I.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q   l,  2.  5 

phers,  "  who  becam  evain  in  their  imaginations,  and  whose  foolish 
hearts  were  darkened,  and  who,  professing  themselves  to  be  wise, 
became  fools,"  Rom.  i.  21,22.  that  I  possess  great  riches,  that  I 
take  my  fill  of  the  pleasures  of  this  world,  that  I  am  laden  with  hon» 
ours,  that  I  harden  myself  against  adverse  occurrences,  or  that  I  de- 
light myself  with  contemplating  the  mysteries  of  nature  ?  No ;  all 
this  is  loo  low  for  such  an  elevated  mind  :  he  knows  that  the  least 
blast  of  adversity  can  dissipate  such  idle  consolations.  He  hath  a 
higher  revelation,  accompanied  with  a  heart  ravishing  experience, 
which  teacheth  him  that  his  "  only  comfort  in  life  and  deaih  is,  that 
he  is  with  body  and  soul,  not  his  own,  but  belongs  to  his  faithful 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 

"  To  be  ones  own  with  body  and  soul,  both  in  life  and  death,"  is 
the  condition  of  one,  who  is  not  subject  to,  nor  a  slave  of  another  ; 
but  who  is  his  owa  lord  and  master,  as  the  Jews  pretended  that  they 
were,  when  they  said  to  our  Saviour,  John  viii.  33.  "  We  are  Abra- 
ham's seed,  and  were  never  in  bondage  to  any  man :  how  say  est 
thou  then,  Ye  shall  be  made  free  \"  Man  was,  in  consequence  of  his 
creation,  the  property  of  God,  and  was  his  servant ;  but  by  means 
of  sin  he  hath  broken  the  yoke  and  bui*sten  the  bonds ;  he  hath  apos- 
tatized from  God  to  himself,  and  hath  tlius  set  himself  free  from  his 
Maker,  and  is  become  a  servant  to  himself ;  he  is  a  man  of  Belial, 
without  yoke,  "sliding  back,  as  a  backsliding  heifer,"  Hosea  iv.  16. 
Therefore  his  heart  and  actions  proclaim,  if  he  do  not  say  it  with 
his  mouth,  "  Our  lips  are  our  own  ;  who  is  lord  over  us  ?"  Psalm 
xii.  4.  "  He  strengthens  himself  against  the  Almighty,"  and  speaks 
proudly  with  the  Jews,  Jer.  ii.  31.  "  We  are  lords,  we  will  not  come 
unto  thee."  He  aims  at  and  pursues  also  solely  that  which  is  his 
own,  and  not  that  which  is  the  Lord's,  Philip,  ii.  21..  "  His  belly  is 
his  God,"  Philip,  iii.  19.  Yea,  he  is  so  proud,  and  so  pufTed  up  with 
a  conceit  of  himself,  that  he  admires  none  so  much  as  himself,  and 
with  the  prince  of  Tyre,  "  he  sets  his  heart  as  God's  heart."  Ezek. 
xxviii.  1,  6. 

But  though  this  freedom,  that  a  person  is  his  own,  may  appear 
exceedingly  pleasant  and  agreeable  to  the  sinner,  it  doth  not  ne^  er- 
theless  contain  a  sufficient  consolation.  For  he  hath  nothing  in  and 
.of  himself,  that  can  afford  him  satisfaction.  He  cannot  expect  it 
neither  of  God,  against  whom  he  hath  rebelled.  He  is  obnoxious 
also  to  the  most  grievous  judgment  of  God,  of  being  abandoned  to 
himself,  to  every  abomination,  and  to  every  distress,  with  the  Israe.- 
ites  and  with  the  Gentiles,  Psalm  Ixxxi.  11,  12.  Rom  i.  26,  27,  28. 
There  is  not  a  more  arrant  slave  than  he,  who  belongs  to  himsef. 


6  THi:  ONLY  COMFORT  OF  BELIEVERS. 

for  he  13  "a  servant  of  sin."  John  viii.  3,  4,  Rom.  vi*  20,  "a  child 
of  the  devil,"  John  viii,  44,  and  "a  captive  in  his  snare  at  his  will,'* 
2  Tim.  li.  26.  Filled  with  self  love,  he  doth  not  perceive  this,  but 
slights  and  disregards  it ;  yet  in  the  hour  of  his  death,  he  will  expe- 
rience it  to  his  terrour,  and  with  the  rich  man  he  will  not  obtain 
even  •'  a  drop  of   water  to  cool  his  scorching  tongue,"  Luke  xvi.  24. 

The  true  Christian  conducts  therefore  more  prudently^  inasmuch 
as  he  seeks  his  comfmt  "  in  belonghig  to  Chri*t  Jesus,  his  faithful 
Saviour,  with  body  and  soul,  both  in  life  and  death,"  like  an  entire 
servant  and  bondman,  who  is  not  his  own,  but  belongs  wholly  to  his 
master.  "  He  that  is  called,  being  free,  is  Chrir.t's  ser\^nt,"  saith 
Paul,  1  Cor.  vii.  22.  Jesus  claims  him  for  **  his  inheritance  aiKl 
passession,"  Psalm  ii.  8.  He  is  "the  peculiar  treasure"  of  the  Lord 
above  other  men,  Exod.  xix.  5,  his  segullah^  "  property,"  which  word, 
is  also  translated  "  the  peculiar  treasure  of  kings,'^  Eccl-  ii.  8.  Bond- 
servants were  in  ancient  times  deemed  a  person's  riches,  see  Gen» 
xxiv.  35.  Thus  also  the  Christian  is  the  riches,  "the  portion  and- 
the  lot  of  the  inheritance"  of  Christ.  Deut.  xxxii.  9.  and  that  net  in. 
part,  but  entirely  "  Vv'ith  body  and  soul,  with  which  he  must  glorify 
God,"  because  "  he  is  not  his  own,  but  bought  with  a  price,"  1  Cor* 
vi  19,  20.  Yea,  he  belongs  to  Christ  forever,  both  in  life  and  death, 
as  the  apostle  also  teacheth  in  the  text.  His  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is 
his  faithful  Saviour, ''  a  God  of  perfect  salvation,  and  to  whom  be- 
long the  issues  from  death,"  Psalm  Ixviii,  20. 

As  this  is  truly  an  excellent  condition,  of  which  glorious  things 
are  spoken,  therefore  our  catechism  explains  it  at  large  in  lour  par- 
ticulars, showing,  first,  how  a  believer  is  made  the  property  of  Christ, 
secondly,  how  he  is  preserved  as  his  property,  thirdly,  how  assured, 
and  fourthly,  sanctified, 

1.  The  believing  Christian  was  God's  property  formerly,  but  by 
sin  he  v.'ithdrew  himself  in  a  treacherous  manner  from  God  ;  and 
rendered  himself  his  own  property  ;  but  by  grace  he  is  become  the 
property  of  Jesus  Christ,  his  faithful  Saviour :  for  the  Father,  who 
had  chosen  him  for  himself,  gave  him  to  his  Son  in  the  eternal  cove- 
nant of  redemption  :  '*  They  were  thine,  and  thou  gavest  them  me,"^ 
saith  the  Saviour  to  his  Eatber,  John  xvii.  6.  The  Son  also  owns 
and  claims  the  elect  sinner  as  his  by  a  marriage  covenant,  Ezek.  xvi. 
8.  Hosea  ii.  18,  1 9.  Whereby,  being  "brought  under  the  bond 
of  the  covenant,  he  joins  himself  to  him  to  be  his  servant,"  Isaiah 
Ivi.  6,  and  "  says  and  subscribes  with  his  hand,  I  am  the  Lord's," 
Isaiah  xliv.  5.  But  to  abide  with  the  instructor  by  the  expression 
of  belonging  to  a  p^Tbon,  we  must  say  that  the  believer  belongs  to 


I.  LORD'S  DAY,Q.  1,2.  f 

Christ  by  virtue  of  a  purchase.  Ainoni^  Abranam's  servants,  who 
belonged  to  him,  tiiere  were  those  aho,  whom  he  had  ''  bought  with 
money,"  Gen.  xvii.  12.  Therefore  the  believer  sahh,  that  '^  his  faith- 
ful Saviour  hatli  perfectly  satisfied  with  his  precious  blood  for  all  his 
sins."  He  had  rendered  himself  guilty  before  God  by  his  sins,  and 
was  therefore,  as  God's  prisoner,  kept  and  shut  up  under  the  law, 
that  he  mi;^ht,  when  the  Jud^e  saw  fit,  be  led  forth  to  punishment, 
and  satisfy  for  his  guilt ;  but  the  Saviour  his  surety  took  his  guilt 
upon  him,  and  satistied  for  it  by  his  suffering  and  obedience,  that  he 
might  claim  the  elect  sinner  for  himself,  according  to  the  prophecy, 
Isaiah  lid.  iO*  "  When  thou  shalt  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin, 
he  shall  see  his  seed."  Therefore  his  satisfaction  is  also  considered 
as  ••'  the  ransom  "  and  price  of  redemption,  Matt.  xx.  28.  1  Tim.  ii. 
6.  Whereby  the  elect  sinner  is  also  delivered  from  his  guilt :  "  In 
"Whom  we  have  redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of 
sins,"  saith  Paul,  Eph.  i.  7.  For  he  paid,  not  the  half,  or  a  part,  but 
the  whole  price  for  all  the  sins  of  his  people  :  "  The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  bon  of  God,  cleanseth  us  from  all  sins,"  1  John  i.  7.  "  For 
by  one  offering  he  hath  perfected  for  ever  them  that  are  sanctified," 
Heb.  X.  14.  Which  blood,  or  bloody  suffering  is  "precious,"  accor- 
ding  to  the  declaration  of  the  catechism  from  1  Peter  i.  18,  19. 
For  the  Person,  his  suffering,  the  deliverance  from  evil,  and  the  pur- 
chase of  good  by  his  blood,  manifest  that  it  is  exceedingly  precious. 
Therefore  he,  for  whom  the  Son  of  God  paid  the  price  of  redemp- 
tion, doth  properly  belong  to  his  Redeemer.  «  He  hath  purchased 
his  church  with  his  own  blood,"  Acts  xx  28.  and  he  hath  "  bought 
her  with  a  price,"  1  Cor   vi.  19,  20, 

Moreover,  the  believer  is  Christ's  property  by  conquest.  It  was 
a  custom  in  ancient  times,  as  it  is  still  among^  many  nations,  to  re- 
duce conquered  enemies  to  servitude.  The  faithful  Saviour  delivers 
the  elect  sinner  from  the  power  of  the  devil,  who  held  him  "  a  cap- 
tive in  his  snare  at  his  will,"  2  Tim.  ii.  20.  The  righteous  judg- 
ment of  God  subjects  the  sinner,  as  a  capital  offender,  to  the  power 
of  the  devil :  *^  The  devil  had  the  power  of  death,"  Heb.  ii.  14.  And 
therefore  the  devil,  according  to  the  opinion  of  some  expositors,  is 
called  "  a  lawful  possessor,  whose  captives  should  be  taken  away 
from  him  and  escape,"  Isaiah  xlix.  24,  25.  Inasmuch  now  as  the 
faithful  Saviour  hath  paid  the  full  price  of  redemption,  the  devil 
ought  to  release  and  discharge  the  sinner ;  but  the  tyrant  refuseth : 
therefore  the  Saviour  employs  strength  and  power,  in  order  to  wrest 
his  purchased  property  by  his  Spirit  from  him  through  an  effectual 
calling  and  conversion :  "  He  binds  tiie  strong  man.   and  spoils  his 


«  THE  ONLY  COMFORT  OF  BELIEVERS. 

goods,"  Mark  iii.  27.  The  sinner  himstlf  resists,  he  delights  in  his 
cruel  bondage  :  "  he  will  not  come  to  Jesus,  that  he  may  have  life 
everlasting,"  John  V.  40.  But  this  great  and  mighty  Hero  "  girds 
his  sword  on  his  thigh,  and  he  makes  his  arrows  sharp,  so  that  peo^ 
pie  fall  under  him,"  Psalm  xliv.  3,  4,  5.  For  this  "  he  ascended  on 
high,  and  led  captivity  captive  :  he  received  gifts  for  men  ;  yea,  for 
the  rebeilious  also  that  he  might  dwell  among  them,"  Psalm  Ixvili. 
A8.  And  thus  he  appropriates  to  himself  those  whom  he  hath  de- 
livered :  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  that  created  thee,  O  Jacob,  and  he 
that  formed  thee,  O  Israel,  fear  not :  for  I  have  redeemed  thee,  I 
have  called  thee  by  thy  name,  thou  art  mine,"  Isaiah  xliii.  1. 

2.  If  the  person  who  is  delivered  were  left  to  his  own  care,  he 
would  soon,  (yea,  sooner  than  Aidam  before  the  fall)  be  over-master- 
ed by  the  devil,  who  seeks  continually  to  wrest  him  from  his  Lord  : 
but  his  '^  faithful  Lord  establishes  and  keeps  him  from  the  evil  one," 
2  Thess.  iii.  3.  "  He  is  kept  by  the  po^Yer  of  God  through  faith 
unto  salvation,"  I  Peter  1,5.  "Having  loved  his  ov/n,  he  loveth 
them  unto  the  end,"  John  xiii.  1."  For  the  Lord  will  not  cast  off  his 
people,  neither  will  he  forsake  his  inheritance,"  Psalm  xliv.  14.  He 
could  not  shed  his  precious  blood  in  vain.  Yea,  "  he  preserves  him 
so,  that  without  the  will  of  his  heavenly  Father,  not  a  hair  can  fall 
from  his  head,"  according  to  his  promise.  Matt.  x.  30.  Luke  xxi.  18. 
How  then  should  he  suffer  the  body  and  soul  of  him  whom  he  hath 
purchased,  delivered  and  owns,  to  be  subject  to  the  power  of  his 
principal  enemy,  the  devil  ? 

The  believer^  oppressed  by  many  afflictions,  vt-ith  mdeed  some- 
times with  Gideon,  "  If  the  Lord  be  with  us,  why  then  hath  all  this 
evil  befallen  us?"  Judges  vi-  13.  But  he  considers  not  that «' all 
things  must  work  together  for  good  to  him,"  according  to  the  apostle, 
Rom.  viii.  28.  For  his  adversities  are  only  "  chastisements  for  his 
profit,  that  he  may  be  a  partaker  of  God's  holiness,"  Heb.  xii.  lOo 
ITea,  God  preserves  him  by  this  discipHne,  "  that  his  soul  may  not 
depart  from  him,  and  that  he  may  not  be  condemned  with  the  world,'* 
Jer.  vi.  8.  I  Cor.  xi.  32  It  is  true,  sin  is  the  most  grievous  of  all 
evils,  to  the  people  of  God,  and  causeth  them  to  fear  that  they  will 
one  day  fall  by  the  hand  of  the  infernal  Saul :  but  their  wise  and 
faithful  Saviour  knows  how  to  direct  sin  contrary  to  its  nature,  for 
the  good  of  the  believer,  in  order  that  he  may  humble  his  soul  by 
it,  render  him  more  earnest,  watchful  and  dependent  upon  him  ; 
that  his  v/onderful  wisdom,  faithfulness,  unchangeable  love  and  pow^ 
er  may  be  glorified  the  more,  in  the  admirable  way,  in  which  he 


I.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  1,2.  ^ 

leads  those  who  belong  to  him  to  glory.     See  this  in  Peter,  Matt. 
kxvi.  31,  S5,  Jolmxxi.  IS.  2  Cor.  xii   7,  8,  9,  lOi 

3.  But  this  doth  not  afford  him  a  sufficient  consolation,  nor  quiet 
him  fully,  unless  he  be  also  assured  of  it.     "  Therefore  his  laithful 
Saviour  assures  him  by  his  Holy  Spirit  of  eternal  life."     Since  he 
is  become  the  property  of  Jesus,  who  delivers  and  preserves  him, 
he  may  also  expect  an  everlasting  and  happy  life :  and  that  not,  as 
an  uncertainty  ;  for  he  is  assured  of  it  by  the   Holy  Ghost,  whom 
Jesus  gives  him  to  be  a  "  comforter  "  to  him,  John  xiv,  16,  26.  xv. 
26.  and  an  "  earnest   and  seal  of  his  inheritance,"  2  Cor.  i.  20,  21, 
22,  33.  Eph.  i.  13,  14.  iv.   30.     And  thus,  like  the  servants  of  old, 
he  is  marked  with  his  Lord's  seal,  to  assure  him  that  he  is  his  pro- 
perty, and  that  he  will  be  "  kept  to  everlasting  life."     See  Rev.  viii^ 
3,  8.     And  how  doth  he  attain  to  this  assurance  ?  Is  he  permitted 
to  look  into  the  book  of  life  ?  or  doth  he  hear  a  voice  from  heaven  ? 
or  doth  he  obtain  it  by  an  imagination  of  his  own  spirit  ?  No,  but 
by  a  secret  persuasion  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  according  to  his  word, 
(a)  Sometimes  the  Holy  Spirit  enables  him  to  form  a  believing  syl- 
logysm,  by  which  he  sets  before  him  from  the  word,  the  true  marks 
of  those  who  belong  to  Christ.     For  ''  we  know  that  we  have  passed 
from  death  to  life,  because  we  love  the  brethren,"  1  John  iii.  4.    He 
convinceth  him  of  this  truth  :  "  For  the  Spirit  bears  witness,  that  the 
Spirit"  (who  speaks  in  the  word)  "  is  the  truth,"  1  John  v.  6.  He 
enlightens  the  soul,  '*  that  she  may  know  the  things  that  are  freely- 
given  her  of  God,"  1  Cor.  ii.    12.     And  he  teaches  the  believer  to 
conclude,  and  "  bears  vritness   with   his   spirit  that  he  is  a  child  of 
God."  (b)  Sometimes  the  Spirit  gives  him,  upon  the  outgoings  of 
his  soul  to  the  Lord  for  reconciliation  and   ^race,  an  undisturbed 
peace  and  tranquility  of  mind,  by  which  the  former  fear  and  pertur- 
bation of  the  soul  is  hushed.  "  He  speaks  peace  to  his  people  and  to 
his  saints."  Psalm  Ixxxv.  8.  (c)  Sometimes  the  Holy  Spirit  speaks 
comfortably  to  his  people,   and  saith,  "  I  am  thy  salvation,"  Psalm 
XXXV.  5.  "  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee,"  Mark  ii.  5.  "I  know  thee  by 
name,  and  thou  hast  also  found  grace  in  my  sight."     Exod.  xxxiii« 
13.     This  ravishes  the  soul  with  a  wonderful  joy,  and  is  accompani- 
ed with   so  much  secret  light  and  power,  that  she  doubts  not  that  it 
is  the  voice  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  suggests  it  to  her,  and  so  the 
Spirit  causcth  the  believer  to  feel  the  beginnings  of  eternal  joy  in 
his  heart,  "  embracing  his  soul  in  love,"  Isaiah  xxxviii.  17,  and  "  shed- 
ding the  love  of  God  abroad  in  his  h«art,"  by  which  he  is  then  most 
powerfully  assured,  that  his  '*  hope  will  not  make  him  ashamed;^" 
Rom.  V.  5. 

F 


10  THE  ONLY' COMFORT  OF  BELIEVERS, 

•  4.  May  a  believer  live  them  as  he  lists  ?  We  say,  he  may,  for  he 
will  live  holy.  Jesus  his  faithful  Saviour  "makes  him  "  by  his  Spirit 
"  sincerelywilhng  and  ready  to  live  henceforth"  not  to  himself,  but 
*'  unto  him."  To  live  unto  Jesus  is  to  surrender  oneself  to  him,  as 
his  property,  and  to  deny  oneself,  in  order  to  live  only  to  the  service 
of  Jesus,  and  according;  to  his  will.  See  this  in  the  text,  and  Titus 
ii.  14  The  believer  is  willing  and  ready  to  live  such  a  life  ;  for  he 
is  one  of  that  '•  most  willing  people,"  Psalm  ex.  3,  He  hath  "  a  will- 
ing mind,"  1  Cor.  viii.  12.  "  He  makes  haste,  and  doth  not  delay 
to  keep  God's  commandments,"  Psalm  cxix.  60.  And  he  "follows 
after  perfection,"  Philip,  iii.  12,  13,  14.  For  "the  love  of  Christ  con- 
straineth  him,"  2  Cor.  v#  14,  15.  But  he  attains  not  to  this  by  his 
own  spirit  but  by  the  "  Spirit  of  his  Lord,  whom  he  puts  into  the 
midst  of  nim,  and  who  causes  him  to  walk  in  his  statutes,  and  keep 
his  judgments,  and  do  them,"  Ezek.  xxxvi,  27. 

Who  can  doubt  now  that  the  only  comfort  of  a  sinner  in  life  and 
death  is,  that  he  belongs  with  body  and  soul  both  in  life  and  death 
to  Christ,  For 

1.  Is  he  the  Lord's,  the  Lord  is  then  also  his,  and  that  entirely, 
and  in  whatsoever  he  is,  hath  and  doth.  "Blessed  is  the  nation, 
whose  God  is  the  Lord ;  and  the  people  whom  he  hath  chosen  for 
his  own  inheritance,"  saith  David,  Psalm  xxxiii  12.  "  The  portioia 
of  Jacob  is  not  like  them  :  for  he  is  the  former  of  all  things,  and 
Israel  is  the  rod  of  his  inheritance  ;  the  Lord  of  hosts  is  his  name," 
Ter.  X.  1 6.  Esau  may  say,  "  I  have  much  ;"  but  Jacob  can  say,  "  I 
have  all,"  Gen.  xxxiii.  9,  11.  Inasmuch  as  the  believer  belongs  to 
Cnrist,  therefore  whatever  exists,  belongs  to  the  believer,  I  Cor.  iii. 
21,  23,   23. 

2.  There  is  nothing  that  deprives  bf'lievers  of  their  comfort  so 
much  as  their  guilt,  and  the  power  of  the  devil.  But  Jesus  Christ 
hath  fully  satisfied  for  all  their  sins,  and  "  hath  delivered  them  from 
all  the  power  of  the  devil,  and  from  the  fear  of  death  by  his  death," 
Heb  ii.  M,  15.  Thus  "  Joshua  the  high-priest  was  comforted,  when 
he  stood  with  filthy  garments  and  Satan  at  his  right  hand  to  resist 
him,  before  the  angel  of  the  Lord.  For  the  Lord  said  unto  Satan, 
the  Lord  rebuke  thee,  O  Satan  even  the  Lord  that  hath  chosen 
Jerusalem  rebuke  thee :  and  to  Joshua  he  said.  Behold  I  have  caus- 
ed thine  iniquity  to  pass  from  thee,  and  I  will  clothe  thee  with 
change  of  raiment,"  Zech.  iii.  1,  5. 

3.  The  fear  of  evil  to  come  cannot  deprive  a  Christian  of  his  com- 
fort, since  his  faithful  Saviour  watches  over  him,  and  preserves  him 
so  carefully,  tiiat  without  the  will  of  his  Heavenly  Father  not  a  hair 


I.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  1,2.  U 

can  fall  from  his  head.  "  He  keeps  him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye,  and 
hides  him  under  the  shadow  of  his  wings,"  Psalm  xvii.  8.  "  He  is  a 
wall  of  fire  round  about  him,  and  he  that  toucheth  him  toucheth  the 
apple  of  his  eye,"  Zech.  ii.  5.  8.  Doth  any  evil  befall  him,  through  the 
wise  ordination  of  his  Saviour,  it  may  afford  him  consolation,  that  it 
will  work  together  for  his  good,  and  he  may,  "  glory  in  tribulations, 
knowing  that  tribulation  worketh  patience  ;  and  patience  experience; 
and  experience  hope."  Rom.  v   S,  4. 

4.  "  If  in  this  life  only  he  had  hope  in  Christ,  he  would  of  all  men 
be  the  most  miserable,"  as  Paul  speaks,  I  Cor.  xv.  19.  But  it  can 
afford  him  a  full  consolation,  that  he  hath  an  expectation  of  an  ever- 
lasting life,  founded  not  upon  an  uncertainty,  but  upon  the  plainest 
and  most  certifying  grounds  ;  for  God  gives  him  his  word,  his  Spirit, 
his  covenant  seals,  yea,  his'*  oath,  to  show  the  inimutabihty  of  his 
counsel,  that  he  may  by  these  immutable  things,  in  which  it  is  im- 
possible that  God  should  he,    have  strong  consolation,"   Heb.    xi. 

ir,  IB. 

5.  There  is  nothing  that  disturbs  his  comfort  more  than  the  natu- 
ral sluggishness  and  backwardness  of  his  heart  to  live  entirely  to 
him  only :  but  his  Lord  undertakes  to  render  him  willing  and  ready 
to  this,  "  to  run  without  being  weary  and  faint ;  for  he  giveth  power 
to  the  faint,  and  to  them  that  have  no  strength,"  Isaiah  xl.  29,  30. 
"  He  enlargeth  his  heart,  that  he  may  run  the  way  of  his  command- 
ments," Psalm  cxix.  32,  and  "rejoice  in  the  way  of  God's  testimo- 
nies, as  much  as  in  all  riches,"  vs    14. 

We  may  not  doubt  that  believers  under  the  old  testament  did  also 
belong  to  their  faithful  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  both  in  life  and  death. 
They  were  also  on  this  account  "  comforted  on  every  side,  and  glori- 
ed therein,"  Psalm  Ixxi.  21.  cvi.  4,  5.  cxix.  i7^  94.  Jer.  x.  16, 
They  were  confident  that  he  had,  as  their  surety,  taken  their  sins 
upon  him,  and  would  certainly  satisfy  for  them,  and  that  they  were 
therefore  already  delivered  from  all  the  power  of  the  devil,  carefully 
preserved,  and  assured,  and  sanctified  by  his  Spirit.  And  therefore 
we  cannot  believe  that  God  did  still  demand  satisfaction  of  them 
for  their  guih,  and  that  they  were  still  under  the  law,  under  wrath, 
the  curse,  under  bondage  to  fear,  and  under  the  fear  of  death.  The 
surety  had  not  indeed  paid  fully  for  their  sins,  but  they  were,  notwith- 
standing fully  forgiven,  on  account  of  the  future  satisfaction  of  the 
surety,  of  whom  alone  the  Father  demanded  it.  The  Spirit  of  conso- 
lation was  not  indeed  poured  out  in  such  an  abundant  measure  as 
under  the  New  Testament  j  but  more  and  less  alters  not  the  nature  of 
thin^-s. 


12  THE  ONLY  COMFORT  OF  BELIEVERS. 

II.  But  how  shall  a  sinner,  who  is  still  his  own,  obtain  this  comfort, 
and  how  shall  he  preserve  it,  after  he  hath  obtained  it  ?  "  It  is  neces- 
sary that  he  should  know  three  things,  First,  how  great  his  sins  and 
misery  are."  This  he  is  taught  in  the  second,  third,  and  fourth  Lord's  ^ 

day.     He  knows  this,  not   by  a  bare  literal  understanding  of  it,  and  V 

by  being  able  to  give  a  proper  account  of  it  to  others,  but  by  seeing 
and  feeling  the  g^reatness  of  his  sins  and  misery  in  himself  with  pain 
and  concern,  and  having  an  earnest  desire  to  be  delivered  from  his 
sins  and  misery,  like  Kphraim,  Jer.  xxxi.  18,  19.,  and  David,  Psalm 
li.  3,  4,  5.  and  like  the  Corinthians,  2  Cor.  vii.  9,  10,  II. 

*'  Secondly,  He  must  know  how  he  may  be  delivered  from  all  his 
bins  and  mise-'y."  The  instructor  showeth  the  manner  in  which  the 
sinnei  is  delivered,  from  the  fifth  to  the  thirty-second  Lord's  day. 
We  know  this  deliverance  by  faith,  whereby,  understanding  the  suf- 
ficiency and  willingness  of  the  Deliverer,  through  the  Spirit,  with 
persuasion  of  mind,  we  flee  to  him,  choose  him,  embrace  him,*and  own 
him  upon  his  invitation  and  call.  And  so  this  knowledge  is  faith. 
*'  By  his  knowledge  shall  my  righteous  servmt  justify  many,"  saith 
the  Fither,  Isaiah  lii,   2 

Finally,  "  he  must  know  how  he  shall  express  his  gratitude  to  God 
for  such  deliverance,"  whereby,  from  a  view  of  his  unworthiness, 
and  the  greatness  of  this  benefit,  he  doth  with  joy,  and  surrendering 
himself  to  the  Lord,  to  serve  him,  glorify,  and  praise  him  with  his 
heart,  his  mouth,  and  whole  conversation.  See  this  in  David,  Psalm 
ciii,  civ.  Of  this  doctrine  of  c;ratitude  the  catechism  treats  from  the 
thirty-second  to  the  last  Lord's  day. 

That  these  three  things  are  necessary,  in  order  to  live  and  die 
happily  in  this  comfort,  appears  (a)  Because  no  man  is  capable  of  this 
comfort,  unless  he  be  heartily  sorry  for  his  sins  and  misery.  For 
*' blessed  are  they  that  mourn  :  for  they  shall  be  comforted,"  Matt.  v. 
4,  (b)  But  though  a  person  be  ever  so  sorry  for  his  sins  and  misery, 
he  cannot  and  will  not  obtain  deliverance,  but  will  with  Cain  and  Ju- 
das fall  into  despair,  unless  he  have  a  knowledge  of  the  deliverance, 
(c)  Doth  he  possess  a  knowledge  of  the  deliverance,  and  is  he  not 
thankful  for  it,  his  soul  will  still  not  enjoy,  or  be  refreshed  with  com- 
fort. It  is  in  proportion  to  "  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  that  the  comfort 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  multiplied,"  Acts  ix.  31. 

The  Christian  doctrine  is  therefore  very  properly  comprehended 
in  these  three  particulars,  as  especially  calculated  to  obtain  the  only 
comfort.  The  compilers  of  the  catechism  were  induced  to  adopt  this 
iiiethod  by  the  example  of  Paul,  in  his  epistle  to  the  Romans.  For 
that  highly  enlightened  man  speaks  there  first  of  the  misery  of  the 


I.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  1,  2.  13 

sinner,  from  chapter  i.  18,  to  chap.  iii.  21.  At  which  place  he  begins 
the  doctrine  of  the  deliverance,  which  he  concludes  with  chap.  xi.  36. 
And  to  this  he  annexes  the  doctrine  of  gratitude,  in  the  five  last 
chapters.  In  this  excellent  way  doth  the  Lord  God  also  conduct  the 
sinner  to  the  only  comfort;  We  see  it  in  the  Jailer,  Acts  xvi.  19, 
34.  And  believers  will  improve  these  three  particulars  every  day 
after  their  repeated  discomforting  backslidings,  as  we  see  in  the  ex- 
amples of  David  and  Paul,  Psalm  xxxii,  and  li.  Rom.  vii.  24,  25. 

APPLICATION. 

See  nov/,  hearers,  the  truth  of  the  doctrme  of  our  Reformed  Church* 
Surely  that  doctrine  is  true,  and  according  to  the  word  of  God,  which 
proposes  a  perfect  and  steadfast  consolation  to  the  sinner  in  all  his 
afflictions  by  proper  means.  For  to  this  end  was  the  whole  word  of 
God  written,  as  Paul  testifieth,  Rom.  xv.  4.  "  Whatsoever  things 
were  written  afore  time  were  v/ritten  for  our  learning  ;  that  we, 
through  patience  and  comfort  of  the  scriptures,  might  have  hope." 
Who  can  now  suspect  our  doctrine  of  falsehood,  and  who  may  be 
compared  to  us,  when  we  discover  the  most  proper  method  to  obtain 
a  sufficient  comfort,  to  the  glory  of  God's  free  grace."  Verily  neither 
the  Papists,  nor  the  Socinians,  nor  the  Remonstrants,  nor  any  who 
favour  them.  The  vain-glorious,  free,  and  indifferent  will  of  the  sin- 
ner is  their  only  aim,  and  only  comfort,  to  which  they  accommodate 
every  doctrine  of  the  Christian  religion.  For  on  account  of  this  indif- 
ferent v/ill,  they  will  deny  either  the  reality  or  the  perfection  of  the 
Saviour's  satisfaction.  They  do  not  know  how  to  reconcile  an  effec" 
tual  deliverance  from  the  power  of  the  devil  to  the  freedom  of  the 
will,  nor  yet  the  particular  care  and  regard  of  the  Lord,  to  his  peo- 
ple, nor  his  wonderful  direction  of  evil  to  the  good  of  those  whom 
he  owns  for  his.  That  believers  should  have  an  assurance  of  eternal 
life,  and  should  be  made  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  an  effectual  manner 
willing  and  ready  to  live  to  their  Lord,  these  men  will  not  believe, 
because  this  would  be  a  forcing  of  the  will.  Rather  than  this  idol 
should  be  cast  down  from  its  throne,  they  will  reject  all  these  com* 
fortable  doctrines,  and  seek  their  comfort  in  being  their  own  by  this 
free  will.  The  true  Christian  is  therefore  more  considerate,  since  he 
places  his  supreme  good  and  comfort  in  being  deUvered  from  him* 
self,  and  in  belonging  entirely  and  for  ever  to  his  Lord. 

But,  hearers,  is  this  also  your  only  comfort  ?  I  ask  not  what  ought 
to  be  your  comfort,  or  wherein  it  consists,  but  what  is  your  comfort, 
and  what  is  your  chief  and  only  solace  and  satisfaction?  Truly  the 
most  of  you  neither  have  nor  seek  comfort  in  belonging  to  Christ.  For 


U  THE  ONLY  COMFORT  OF  BELIEVERS. 

1.  Ye  seek  your  satisfaction  in  being  esteemed  and  beloved  by 
men,  in  getting  and  handling  many  goods,  elegant  houses,  delightful 
gardens,  beautiful  clothes,  precious  jewels,  and  delicious  meats  and 
drinks  captivate  you  so,  that  ye  indulge  yourselves  in  them  without 
restraint,  and  do,  as  it  were,  lose  yourselves  in  them. 

2.  Ye  certainly  aim  at  being  entirely  your  own  in  all  that  ye  do. 
What  is  it  that  influences  you  in  all  that  ye  do  and  forbear  ?  is  it  not 
merely  your  own  honuur,  profit  and  pleasure  ?  do  ye  not  live  entirely 
according  to  your  own  fancy  ?  Is  not  your  will  your  law  ?  can  ye 
endure  to  serve  God  so  strictly,  as  not  to  will,  do,  or  forbear  aught, 
but  what  he  will  ?  Ye  will  not  suffer  any  one  to  reprove  you  ;  that 
he  may  not  interrupt  you  in  your  dissolute  career  :  and  doth  your 
conscience  convince  and  check  you,  ye  siiHe  ity  and  will  not  indeed 
suffer  yourselves  to  be  disquieted. 

3.  It  is  surely  iniquity  in  which  ye  rejoice.  Through  the  vanity 
of  your  minds  ye  amuse  yourselves  with  idle  speculations:  ye  can 
ponder  with  delight  on  abominable  and  malicious  sins,  which  your 
corrupt  hearts  continually  suggest :  musing  on  wine,  revenge,  las- 
civiousness,  iniquity,  jesting  and  foolish  talking  is  as  agreeable  to 
you,  as  if  it  were  your  salvation  :  "  Ye  rejoice  to  do  evil,  and  deiight 
in  the  frowarduess  of  the  wicked,"  Prov.  ii.  14. 

Alas  friends  I  is  this  your  comfort,  ye  are  then  yet  your  own,  and 
are  therefore,  "  without  Christ,  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of 
Israel,  strangers  from  the  covenants  of  promise,  having  no  hope  and 
without  God  in  the  world,"  Eph.  ii.  12.  What  evidence  have  ye 
then  that  your  sins  do  not  stand  uncancelled  in  God's  book  of  ac- 
counts ?  ye  are  surely  yet  under  the  power  of  the  devil :  and  what 
will  preserve  you  from  destruction  ?  God  will  not,  for  he  is  not  your 
God,  since  ye  are  rebellioufi  against  him :  Satan  will  not,  for  he  seeks 
your  eternal  misery  :  neither  will  those  things  in  which  ye  delight : 
for  "even  in  your  laughter  your  hearts  will  be  sorrowful,"  Prov  xiv. 
13,  Though  your  hearts  rejoice,  and  ye  ai'e  not  afraid,  these  things 
v/ill  forsake  you  in  death  :  and  how  will  your  conscience,  which  ye 
have  soothed  so  long,  and  all  your  evil  iniquities  then  fly  in  your  face, 
and  summon  you  before  the  dreadful  tribunal  of  God,  to  which  death 
will  hurry  you,  that  ye  may  receive  tiie  reward  of  your  works  in  the 
comfortless  lake  of  fire,  where,  with  the  rich  man,  ye  will  not  obtain 
a  d/op  of  water  from  a  poor  L.izai  as  to  cool  your  tongues. 

%et  this  uifect  you  ^viih  concern,  that  ye  may  "  recover  out  of  the 
snare  of  the  devil,  in  which  ye  are  taken  captive  at  his  will,"  2  Tim. 
ii.  26.  Cor.ne  with  the  prodigal  son  to  yourselves,  that  ye  may  learn 
the  greatness  of  your  shis   and  misery,  and   may  "  repent  of  your 


I.  LORD'S  PAY,  Q.  1,  1.  15 

wickedness,  saying,  what  have  I  done  ?"  Jer.  viii.  6.  for  this  would 
drive  you  out  of  yourselves,  to  seek  and  to  find  deliverance  in  the 
Son  of  God. 

Doth  any  one  say.  it  is  my  comfort,  that  I  belong  tp  Jesus  Christ  ? 
But  hast  thou  sufficient  evidences  of  this  ?  for  a  person  may  think 
that  he  is  in  this  happy  condition,  and  deceive  himself  with  vain  im- 
aginations. A  man  may  also  suppose  that  he  is  his  own,  when  he 
truly  belongs  to  Christ :  "  There  is  that  maketh  himself  rich,  yet 
hath  nothing  :  and  there  is  that  maketh  himself  poor,  and  yet  hath 
great  riches,"  saith  the  wisest  of  kings,  Prov.  xiii.  7.  It  is  therefore 
necessary,  that  every  one  should  examine  himself,  with  respect  to  this 
important  matter,  seriously  and  strictly.  "  Examine  yourselves 
whether  ye  be  in  the  faith,  prove  yourselves,"  as  Paul  admonisheth, 
2  Cor.  xiii.  6.  and  attend  to  these  true  evidences,  that  a  person  be- 
longs to  Christ. 

1.  He  who  is  not  his  own,  but  belongs  to  Christ  Jesus,  hath  sur- 
rendered himself  entirely  to  him  and  that  for  ever,  and  willingly,  in 
order  that  he  may  be  his :  ''  He  saith  and  subscribes  with  his  hand, 
I  am  the  Lord's,"  Isaiah  xliv.  5.  and  that  not  only  to  be  saved  by  him, 

but  also  to  serve  him.  For  "  he  joins  himself  to  the  Lord  to  serve 
him,  and  to  love  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  be  his  servant,"  Isaiah 
Ivi   6. 

2.  Such  a  person  will  not  rest,  nor  receive  comfort,  until  he  bath 
manifest  evidences  that  the  Lord  Jesus  hath  accepted  of  him  as  his 
property,  satisfied  for  all  his  sins,  and  delivered  him  from  all  the 
power  of  the  devil.  He  must  be  clearly  and  effectually  assured  by 
the  Spirit  of  eternal  life  from  his  own  experience,  before  he  will  re- 
joice in  the  hope  of  the  glory  of  God,  Rom.  v.  5.  A  single  mark,  a 
single  gleam  of  hope  is  not  sufficient  for  him,  he  wishes  that,  "  God 
would  say  to  his  soul,  I  am  thy  salvation,"  Psalm  xxxv.  3.  He  knows 
how  many  deceive  themselves  in  this  weighty  matter,  he  knows  the 
deceitfulness  of  his  own  heart,  and  how  dangerous  deceit  is  here: 
and  therefore  he  seeks  for  palpable,  and  as  it  were  sensible  evidences. 

3.  This  person  hath  as  great  a  delight  in  living  willingly  to  the 
Lord,  as  in  sensible  comfort :  «  It  is  joy  to  the  just  to  do  judg- 
ment," saith  Solomon,  Prov.  xxi.  15.  Therefore  he  sighs  and  cries 
to  the  Lord,  "  O  that  my  ways  were  directed  to  keep  thy  statutes! 
Make  me  to  go  in  the  path  of  thy  commandments,  for  therein  do  I 
deUght,"  Psalm  cxix.  5,  25,  Doth  he  perceive  that  he  is  sluggish 
and  heartless,  and  that  iniquities  prevail  over  him,  it  is  to  him,  as  it 
was  to  the  apostle,  Rom.  vii.  24.  "  a  body  of  death." 

4.  Such  an  one  hath  not  attained  to  this  comfort  like  others  by  a 


16         thpl  only  comfort  of  believers. 

strong  imagination,  or  by  his  birth  among  Christians,  or  by  a  civil 
and  externally  religious  behaviour,  or  by  enjoying  the  church  privi- 
leges of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper,  M^ith  which  those  who  are 
Christians  only  for  fashion  sake  content  themselves  ;  but  by  an  af- 
fecting discovery  of  the  greatness  of  his  sins  and  misery  ;  by  an 
earnest  seeking  and  wrestling  to  obtain  Christ,  and  his  righteousness, 
and  by  striving  to  lead  a  thankful  lite.  This  is  his  manner  at  the  be- 
ginning of  his  conversion,  and  this  is  also  his  daily  work  ;  and  he  ob- 
tains hereupon  comfort  of  God  repeatedly. 

Are  these  things  to  be  found  in  you,  be  assured  then  of  your  great 
salvation,  and  conduct  yourselves  worthily  of  it. 

1.  By  heartily  praising  and  exalting  the  Lord  on  account  of  it  in 
all  your  conversation  :  For  "  ye  are  not  your  own,  but  are  bought 
with  a  price  :  therefore  glorify  God  in  your  body,  and  in  your  spirit, 
which  are  God's,"  1  Cor.  vi.  18,  19.  ''  O  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord, 
for  he  i^  good  :  for  his  mercy  cndureth  for  ever.  Let  the  redeemed 
of  the  Lord  say  so,  whom  he  hath  redeemed  from  the  hand  of  the 
vnemy-"  Psalm  cvii,  1,  2.  Contemplate  a  while  your  salvation,  en- 
deavour to  understand  the  excellence  of  it,  until  you  are  filled  with 
comfort,  and  transported  to  praise  the  Lord.  When  the  soul  is  satis- 
fied with  marrow  and  fatness,  the  mouth  will  utter  praises  with  joy- 
ful lips.  Psalm  Ixiii-  5. 

2.  Are  ye  not  your  owh,  but  Christ's,  deny  then  also  yourselves. 
Ye  must  be  nothing,  and  he  must  be  your  all,  ye  must  be  servants^ 
and  he  your  Lord.  Ye  must  empty  yourselves  of  your  own  wisdom, 
wdl,  honour,  profit  and  pleasure,  that  his  wisdom  will,  honour,  profit 
and  pleasure  may  possess  and  govern  your  souls  :  yea,  ye  must 
esteem  shame,  loss  and  pain,  if  he  should  inflict  them  upon  you,  for 
his  sake,  your  honour,  profit  and  pleasure.  He  saith,  "  If  any  man 
will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  take  up  his  cross,  and 
follow  me,"  Matt.  xvi.  24.  He  even  requires,  Luke  xiv.  26,  that  the 
person  who  will  be  his  disciple,  should  h?.te  father,  mother,  wife, 
v.hildrcn,  brethren,  and  sisters,  yea  his  own  life  also,"  to  wit,  when 
any  of  these  beloved  objects  comes  in  competition  with  him. 

3.  "  Moreover,  brethren,  be  joyful,  be  of  good  comfort,"  as  Paul 
aJmonisheth,  2  Cor.  xiii.  11.  This  will  be  the  life  of  your  life  :" 
lie  not  sorry,  for  the  joy  of  the  Lord  is  your  strength,"  Neh.  vjiio 
i  1.  Ye  have  abundant  reason  :  see  only  what  your  faithful  Saviour 
hath  done  for  you,  and  will  yet  do.  Will  ye  suffer  your  heads  to 
hang  down  as  a  bulrush  ?  it  doth  not  become  you  :  ye  will  bring 
up  an  evil  repoit  upon  your  faithful  Saviour.  Let  those  who  are  still 
under  the  power  of  t!^e  devil,  sorrow,  naonni  ?nd  weep  ;    but  as  for 


I.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  l,  2.  17 

you,  lift  up  your  heads,  and  let  not  "  the  consolations  of  God  be 
small  with  you,"  Job  xv,  11.  But  take  good  heed  also  that  your 
consolation  do  not  issue  in  vain  dissoluteness,  that  it  may  not  be  im- 
bittered  to  you,  but  "rejoice  with  trembling,"  Psalm  ii.  11. 

4.  Are  your  adversities  many,  are  there  fightings  without,  and 
fears  within,  are  ye  afraid  that  ye  will  one  time  or  other  be  destroyed 
by  the  power  of  your  indwelling  corruption,  by  the  mighty  pressure 
of  the  wicked  world,  and  by  the  powerful  temptations  of  the  devil, 
know  that  your  faithful  Saviour  will  deliver  you  out  of  all  these  dan- 
gers. Psalm  xxxiv,  19.  His  tender  care  over  you  is  so  great,  and 
he  preser^'cs  so,  that  not  a  hair  can  fall  from  your  heads,  without 
the  will  of  your  Heavenly  Father :  "  He  gives  his  sheep  eteraal  life, 
they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any  pluck  them  out  of  his  hand : 
his  Father,  who  gave  them  him,  is  greater  than  all,  and  none  is  able 
to  pluck  them  out  of  his  Father's  hand,"  John  x.  28,  29.  It  is  true, 
your  difficulties  beset  you  a  long  time ;  yet  be  not  discouraged  on 
this  account,  as  though  the  l^ord  did  not  regard  you,  nor  your  sor- 
rows, like  Asaph,  Psalm  Ixxiii.  10,  14.  and  the  church,  Isaiah  xl. 
27.  For  adversities  are  not  evidences  that  the  Lord  hates  you ; 
«  For  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chasteneth,"  and  he  will  cause  all 
this  evil  to  work  for  your  good,  therefore  be  patient  and  submit  to 
him,  as  Paul  speaks,  Heb.  xii.  6,  12.  and  resign  yourselves  to  his 
care  with  a  holy  carelessness  :  "  Commit  your  way  unto  the  Lord  : 
trust  also  m  him,  and  he  shall  bring  it  to  pass,"  Psalm  xxxvii.  5.  1 
Peter  iv.  19.  v.  7, 

5.  EstabUsh  your  assurance  upon  the  witnessing  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  his  word,  and  in  your  hearts  ;  for  ye  will  otherwise,  with  all  your 
advantages,  labour  in  vain  for  comfort :  "  Give  all  diligence  to  make 
your  calling  and  election  sure,"  2  Peter  i.  10.  Are  ye  shaken,  ex- 
amine yourselves,  2  Cor.  xiii.  5.  Can  ye  deny  the  marks  that  have 
been  exhibited  ?  hath  not  God  at  sundry  times  assured  you  in  the 
clearest  and  most  powerful  manner  by  his  Spirit,  yea  so,  that  ye 
thought  ye  could  never  doubt  again,  that  ye  were  the  Lord's  ?  \K  ell 
then,  judge  that  it  is  even  so,  Rom.  vi.  11.2  Cor.  v.  15. 

6.  Shew  yourselves  also  willing  and  ready  to  live  henceforth  to 
him.  Ye  are  not  your  own  lords,  but  he  is  your  Lord,  and  ye  belong 
to  him,  that  ye  may  be  only  for  his  service.  Let  none  of  you  then 
live  to  himself,  but  to  him,  to  whom  he  belongs.  ^>ee  the  text,  and 
2  Cor.  V.  15.  But  shew  yourselves  to  be  his  by  an  earnest  and  fer- 
vent zeal  to  do  his  will,  and  to  serve  him.  "  For  he  gave  himself 
for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  unto 
himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works,"  Titus  ii.  U,  Are 

G 


18  THE  ONLY  COMFORT  OF  BELIEVERS. 

ye  in  the  mean  time  overtaken  in  a  fault,  and  thereby  subjected  tor 
darkness,  know  then  also  this  part  of  your  misery,  huml3le  your- 
selves on  account  of  it,  embrace  your  Deliverer  for  reconciliation 
and  sanctification  :  for  '»  he  is  made  this  to  you,"  1  Cor.  i.  30.  and 
arise  with  Hezekiah  again,  Isaiah  xxxviii.  15.  "  to  go  softly  all  your 
days,  on  account  of  the  bitterness  of  your  soul." 

7.  Doth  it  please  the  Lo»'d  to  lead  you  a  long  time  in  an  uncom- 
fortable way,  do  not  dispute  the  propriety  of  his  conduct ;  "  God  is 
greater  than  man.  Wherefore  shouldst  thou  then  strive  with  him  ? 
foi  he  giveth  not  account  of  any  of  his  matters,"  Job  xxxiii.  12,  13. 
Let  it  suffice  you,  that  the  Son  of  God  hath  done  so  much,  and  will 
do  so  much  to  make  you  his  own.  Remember  that  he  hath  his  eye 
upon  you  to  comfort  you  as  much  as  is  needful  for  you,  in  his  own 
time.  Hear  how  he  himself  speaks,  Isaiah  Ivii.  18.  "  I  have  seen  his 
ways,  and  will  heal  him  ;  I  will  lead  him  also,  and  restore  comforts 
to  him,  and  to  his  mourners."  When  others  shall  have  no  more  com- 
fort, then  shall  ye  enjoy  your  full  share  of  it ;  for  as  Paul  foretells, 
I  Thess.  iv.  17,  18.  "  We  shall  be  taken  up  in  the  clouds  to  meet 
the  Lord  in  the  air  ;  and  so  we  shall  ever  be  with  the  Lord.  Where- 
fore comfort  one  another  with  these  words."  Amen. 


(   19  ) 
THE 

KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERY 

OUT  OF  THE  LAW. 
II  LORD'S  DAY. 

Rom.  iii.  20.     By  the  law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin* 

Q.  3.    Whence  knoweH  thou  thy  misery  ? 

A.  Out  of  the  law  of  God. 

Q,  4.    fVhat  doth  the  law  of  God  require  of  us  ? 

A.  Christ  teaches  us  that  briefly,  Matt.  xxii.  37 — 40.  «  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  with  all  thy  soul, 
with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all  thy  strength.  This  is  the  first  and 
the  great  command,  and  the  second  is  like  to  this.  Thou  sValt  love 
thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  On  these  two  commands  hang  the  whole 
law  and  the  prophets." 

Q.  5.  Canst  thou  keefi  all  these  things  perfectly  ? 

A.  In  no  wise ;  for  I  am  prone  by  nature  to  hate  God  and  my 
neighbour. 


B 


LESSED  are  they  that  moum :  for  they  shall  be  comforted,"  saith 
the  Consolation  of  Israel,  Matt.  v.  4.  Altliough  the  sinner  is  so  ex- 
ceedingly miserable,  he  will  not  mourn :  mourning  would  indeed 
disturb  his  sinful  joy.  Doth  his  conscience  reprove  him  at  times,  he 
stifles  it,  and  blesses  himself  in  his  heart,  saying  that  he  shall  have 
peace,  although  he  walks  in  the  imagination  of  his  heart.  But  hi& 
comfort  is  vain,  and  will  forsake  him,  when  death  seizeth  on  him- 
True  and  godl>  comfort  belongs  to  none  but  those  who  mourn  for 
their  misi^ry  :  for  they  only  are  capable  of  comfort :  "  The  Messiah 
was  sent  to  comfort  those  only  who  mourn,"  Isaiah  Ixi.  2.  There- 
fore the  Lord  requires  first  and  chiefly  of  his  people,  that  they  should 
acknowledge  their  iniquity,  in  order  that  he  may  restrain  his  anger 
which  is  kindled  against  them,  and  favour  them  with  his  loving  kind- 
ness, Jer.  iii.  11,13.    It  is  the  first  work  of  the  Comforter,  the  Hdy 


20  THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERY 

Ghost,  when  he  is  about  to  dispose  the  sinner  for  comfort,  to  "  con- 
vince him  of  his  sins."  The  men  at  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  the  jailer, 
and  Paul,  did  not  obtain  comfort,  before  they  knew  their  misery,  and 
cried  out  with  concern,  "  What  shall  we  do?"  Acts  ii.  37.  ix.  6. 
xvi.  30. 

Our  instructor  proceeds  also  in  this  manner,  in  order  to  comfort 
the  sinner.  He  had  set  before  his  pupil  the  only  comfort  in  all  its 
lustre,  in  the  first  question.  The  pupil,  eager  to  obtain  this  comfort, 
asks  his  teacher,  what  he  must  know,  and  therefore  do,  that  he  may 
live  and  die  happily  in  this  comfort.  Hereupon  he  is  taught  that 
he  must  know,  first,  how  great  his  sins  and  miseries  are,  in  the  second 
question.  But  inasmuch  as  the  sinner  cannot  learn  his  sins  and 
misery  of  himself,  therefore  he  inquires,  1.  Whence  he  shall  learn 
his  misery  in  the  third  and  fourth  question,  2.  Wherein  it  consists, 
from  the  fifth  to  the  eleventh  question. 
In  this  Lord's  day  we  are  taught, 

I.  In  general  that  we  know  our  misery  out  of  the  law,  in  the  third 
question. 

II.  And  it  is  then  explained  in  particular,  how  we  are  convinced 
out  of  the  law  of  our  misery,  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  questions. 

I.  Truly  the  angels,  who  apostatized  from  God,  are  also  exceed- 
ingly miserable  :  their  sins  have  made  them  devils,  and  subjected 
them  to  eternal  damnation.  For  "  God  spared  not  tl  e  angels  who 
sinned,  but  cast  them  down  to  hell,  and  delivered  them  into  chains 
of  darkness,  to  be  reserved  unto  judgment,"  2  Peter  ii.  4.  Jude  vs. 
6.  "  Everlasting  fire  is  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,"  Matt. 
XXV.  41.  "  The  whole  creation  also  is  become  subject  to  vanity,  and 
to  the  bondage  of  corruption  :  it  groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain  until 
now,"  Rom.  viii.  20,  21,  22.  But  the  instructor  speaks  not  of  the 
misery  of  the  angels,  nor  of  the  misery  of  the  whole  creation,  but 
only  of  man's  misery  :  because  we  have  the  greatest  concern  in  the 
knowledge  of  our  own  misery,  and  we  are  thereby  led  to  seek  for 
deliverance :  but  there  is  no  hope  of  deliverance  for  the  angels : 
"  For  verily  the  Saviour  took  not  on  him  the  nature  of  angels  ;  but 
he  took  on  him  the  seed  of  Abraham."  Heb.  ii.  16.  Is  the  whole 
creation  miserable,  it  is  on  account  of,  and  to  aggravate  the  misery 
of  man,  which  he  ought  to  know. 

That  man  is  miserable,  and  that  his  misery  consists  in  sin,  in 
punishment,  and  in  an  inability  lo  deliver  himself,  this  the  instructor 
will  show  in  the  sequel,  out  of  the  law.  He  teaches  us  now  only 
how  we  attain  to  a  knowledge  of  our  misery  by  the  law.  There  is 
none  so  near  to  a  man,  as  the  man  himself :  "  The  spirit  of  man 


OUT  OF  THE  LAW.     II.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  3,  4,  5.      21 

which  is  in  him,  knoweth  the  things  of  a  man,"  saith  the  apostle,  1 
Cor.  ii.  11.     And  yet  we  must  shew  him  his  misery,  which  cleaveth 
to  him,  and  the  means,  whereby  he  may  attain  to  the  knowledge  of 
it-     This  appears  strange  ;  but  his  misery  is  natural  to  him,  and  he 
is  so  accustomed  to  it,  that  he  doth  not  consider  it  as  misery  :  he 
thinks  that  it  ought  to  be  with  him  as  it  is.     But  sin  hath  so  bewil- 
dered him  :  he  is,  as  it  were,  through  the  bewitching  power  of  ini- 
quity, beside  himself,  and  bereaved  of  his  reason,  and  he  busies  him- 
self only  with  things,  which  do  not  concern  him.  If  he  shall  be  healed, 
he  must,  with  "  the  prodigal  son,  come  to  himself,"  Luke   xv.  17, 
and  like  "  Ephraim,  become  acquainted  v/ith  himself,"  Jer.  xxxi.  19. 
But  what  shall  discover  the  sinner's  misery  to  him  ?  The  law  of 
God  is  the  best  mean  ;  *'  by  the  law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin,"  saith 
the  text.     We  read  of  a  ceremonial  Jaw,  by  which  God  prescribed 
to  Israel  the  manner  of  the  external   worship.     Paul  calls  it,  "  the 
law  of  commandments,  contained  in  ordinances,"  Eph.  ii.  15.     God 
gave  also  a  civil  law,  by  which  the  civil   state  of  Israel  was  to  be 
regulated.     Of  this  law  Nichodemus  spoke,  when  he  said,  John  vii. 
51.     "  Doth  our  law  judge  any  man  before  it  hear  him,  and  know 
•what  he  doth  ?"  The  word  of  God   speaks  also  of  a  moral  law,  ex- 
pressed in  ten  commandments.     Israel  could  learn  their  misery  in 
some  measure  from  the  ceremonial  law,  because  all  the  blood-shed- 
dings  and  washings,  which  were  enjoined   on  them,  showed  them 
their  capital  uncleanness,  and  that  they  could  not  look  for  salvation, 
except  through  the  perfect  sacrifice  of  the  Messiah,  who  was  to  come, 
as  Paul  teacheth,  Heb.  x.  1,  10.     The  civil  law  discovered  also  after 
a  certain  manner  the  sins  of  Israel  :  for  when  the  judges  punished 
the  outward  abominations  of  the  people,  often  with  great  severity, 
the  people  of  the  Lord  might  conclude  thence,  with  the  greatest  pro- 
priety, that  he,  who  was  a  righteous,  all-knowing,  and  almighty  judge, 
would  much  more,  and  with  much  greater  severity,  mark  and  punish 
sins,  yea,  even  those  of  the  soul.    But  the  moral  law  is  much  better 
calculated  to  convince  the  sinner  of  his  misery.     The  law  of  cere- 
monies, and  the  civil  law  were  given  to  Israel  only,  and  determined 
merely  the  outward  worship,  and  the  outward  righteousness  among 
men  :  but  the  moral  law  w*s  given,  not  to  Israel  only,  but  to  all  the 
posterity  of  x^dam  :  "  it  proves  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  to  be  all  un- 
der sin  ;  it  stops  every  mouth,    and  declares  the  whole  world  to  be 
g'M\y  before  God,"  Rom.  lii.  9,  19.  and  it  discovers  the  inmost  and 
rnoRi  hidden  corruption  and  sinful  lusting  of  the  heart:  "  I  had  not 
known   lust  to  be  sin,"  saith  Paul,  "  if  the  law  had  not  said,  Thou 
ahalt  net   co^t,"  Rom.  vii.  T.    Of  this  law  the  text  also  speaks,  as 


n  THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERY 

appears  from  what  the  apostle  had  said  before,  that  he  had  "proved 
according  to  this  law  that  both  Jews  and  Gentiles  were  all  under 
sin,"  and  particularly  that  they  were  guilty  of  the  sins,  which  are 
condemned  in  this  law,  and  were  therefore  "  all  guilty  before  God," 
vrs.  9,  19.  And  to  this  law  the  instructor  also  hath  respect  here,  as 
he  shows  from  the  demand  of  the  law  in  the  fourth  question. 

II.  But  how  shall  we  be  convinced  of  our  misery  out  of  the  law? 
We  must  in  the  first  place  know  what  God  requires  in  his  law,  and 
then  compare  ourselves  therewith.  The  instructor  asks,  with  respect 
to  the  first  particular,  "  What  doth  the  law  of  God  require  of  us  ?" 
and  he  answers,  that ''  Christ  teacheth  us  that  briefly.  Matt.  xxii.  37, 
38,  39,  40  "  where  the  Saviour  reduces  the  v/hole  sum  of  the  law 
to  the  love  of  God  and  our  neighbour,  and  so  to  two  commandments, 
or  tables,  according  lo  Deut.  vi.  5,  and  Lev.  xix.  18.  The  first  table^ 
or  first  commandment  saith,  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God," 
who  is  the  self  existent,  and  the  only  existing  God,  and  who  promis- 
ed himself  as  such  by  his  covenant  to  his  people,  and  is  therefore 
worthy  to  be  loved.  "  To  love  him"  is  to  have  a  high  esteem  of  him  ; 
to  desire  him,  in  order  to  be  most  intimately  united  to  him  and  to 
enjoy  him,  to  be  satisfied  and  rejoice  in  hiuj,  and  to  conduct  in  all 
things  according  to  his  mind.  1  may  not  expatiate  here  :  see  only 
Song  V.  8  — 16.  vii.  6.  John  xiv.  21,  23.  We  must  love  God  "  with 
all  our  heart,  with  all  our  soul,  with  all  our  mmd,"  and  according  to 
Luke  X.  27,  "  with  all  our  strength,"  and  so,  "  with  all  our  mijjht," 
Deut.  vi.  S.  These  several  words  betoken  all  the  faculties  of  the 
soul;  if  we  will  distinguish  them,  the  heart  v/ill  then  denote  the  in- 
most desire  and  inclination  oi  the  mind  ;  the  soul  will  be  the  will ; 
the  mind  expresseth  the  apprehension,  judgment,  and  all  the  thoughts ; 
emd  the  strength  and  might  represent  in  what  manner  the  soul  and 
body  should  contribute  all  that  they  have,  and  exert  themselves  to 
love  God  :  and  thus  the  Saviour  would  show  by  this  accumulation  of 
words,  that  we  ought  to  love  God  perfectly,  and  without  any  defect. 
For  it  will  soon  appear,  that  the  perfect  demand  of  the  covenant  of 
works  is  exhibited  in  this  passage  ;  yea,  in  whatever  condition  man 
may  be,  he  is,  and  remains  obligated  by  nature  to  love  God  perfectly, 
on  account  of  his  loveliness  :  and  if  there  be  any  defect  in  his  love, 
h€  sins,  and  must  humble  himself,  and  seek  reconciliation.  To  love- 
God  thus  is  "the  first  commandment,"  because  it  is  commanded 
before  the  love  of  o\u'  neighbour,  and  because  love  to  God  is  ..'jie 
source,  from  which  love  to  our  neighbour  must  flow  :  "  Belov  (j, " 
saith  the  disciple,  wiiom  Jesus  loved,  "  let  us  love  one  another  .  for 
love  is  of  God,"  1  John  iv.  7,     This  is  also  the  first  copimap<Jment, 


OUT  OF  TflE  LAW.     11.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  3,  4,  5, 


23 


because  the  second  commandment  of  loving  our  neighbour  must  yield 
to  this ;  "  We  ought  to  obey  God  rather  than  men,"  Acts  v.  29, 
This  was  nobly  exemplified  by  Levi,  Exod.  xxxii.  27,  28.  Deut. 
xxxiii.  9.  See  also  Matt.  x.  37.  This  first  is  also  "  the  great  com- 
mandment." The  second  commandment  is  also  called  great.  Mark 
xii.  31.  and  therefore  great  must  denote  in  Matthew  the  greatest :  God 
is  indeed  the  greatest  and  most  worthy  object,  whom  we  must  love 
with  the  greatest  and  the  strongest  affection,  with  the  whole  heart, 
&c.  as  he  is  worthy.  But  we  must  love  our  neighbour  as  ourselves. 
Our  neighbour  is  here  not  only  our  kinsman  and  friend,  but  even 
our  enemy  :  the  Egyptians,  the  enemies  of  the  Israelites  were  also 
their  neighbours,  Exod  xi.  2.  The  Samaritans,  who  were  enemies 
of  the  Jews,  were  their  neiejhbours,  according  to  the  doctrine  of  Jesus, 
Luke  x.  29 — 37.  "  We  must  indeed  love  enemies,"  Matt  v.  44, 
For  that  which  constitutes  one  man  a  neighbour  of  another  is,  that 
"  God  hath  made  all  the  nations  of  men  of  one  blood,"  Acts  xvii.  31. 
and  because  one  man  is  the  brother  and  "  flesh  "  of  another,  Isaiah 
Ivii.  7.  since  we  have  all  proceeded  from  one  father  and  mother, 
Adam  and  Eve.  Therefore  we  must  love  our  neighbour,  and  so  es- 
teem him  highly,  as  the  most  glorious  creature  of  God  on  earth,  and 
as  our  brother  :  we  must  cleave  to  him  with  a  tender  affection,  and 
do  well  to  him.  But  must  I  "  love  him  with  my  whole  heart,  soul," 
&c.  as  I  must  love  God  ?  No,  but  as  myself.  The  love  which  a  man 
beareth  to  himself  is  the  pattern,  but  not  the  rule  of  love  to  his  neigh- 
bour :  the  law  of  God  alone  is  the  rule  ;  yea,  a  man  may  not  even 
propose  himself  in  all  things,  as  a  pattern  of  his  love  to  his  neigh- 
bour :  for  he  loves  himself  with  such  a  sottish  self-love,  that  "  he  sets 
his  heart  as  God's  heart,"  Ezek.  xxxviii.  2.  All  that  he  should  do 
for  God's  sake,  he  doth  for  his  own  sake  :  he  may  not  love  his  neigh- 
bour so  :  but  as  he  ought  to  love  himself  sincerely,  heartily,  nnd 
steadfastly  in  God,  and  for  God's  sake,  so  he  ought  to  love  his 
neighbour  also  in  this  manner,  and  therefore  perfectly.  For  it  is 
the  nature  of  a  man  to  love  himself  perfectly  ;  for  '•  no  man  ever  yet 
hated  his  own  flesh,  but  nourisheth  and  cherisheth  it,"  Eph.  v.  29o 
But  although  I  ought  to  love  my  neighbour  perfectly,  it  must  never- 
theless be  with  a  certain  distinction  :  one  is  nearer  to  me  than 
another.  We  ought  to  love  the  godly  more  than  others  :  *'  we  must 
do  good  to  all  men,  but  especially  to  them  who  are  of  the  household 
of  faith,"  Gal.  vi.  10.  "  This  second  commandment  is  like  the  first," 
because  it  proceeds  from  the  same  Lawgiver,  and  commands  one 
and  the  same  act  of  love,  although  toward  different  objects,  and  love 
to  our  neighbour  always  accompanies  love  to  God.     "  If  any  man 


34  THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERY 

say,  I  love  God»  and  hateth  his  brother,  he  is  a  liar ;  for  he  who 
loveth  not  his  brother  whom  he  hath  seen,  how  can  he  love  God 
whom  he  hath  not  seen  ?  And  this  commandment  have  we  from 
him,  that  he  who  loveth  God,  love  his  brother  also,"  1  John  iv.  20, 
21.  These  two  commandments  are  exceedingly  weighty  ;  for  "on 
them  hang'  the  whole  law  and  the  prophets."  The  law  and  the 
prophets  denote  here  the  scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament,  Luke  xvi. 
29.  xxiv.  27.  And  all  these  scriptures  urge  men  to  love.  For  all 
the  histories,  commandments,  doctrines,  and  prophecies  that  have 
been  written,  serve  to  excite  man  to  love  God  and  his  neighbour. 
For  "  the  end  of  the  commandments  is  charity,  out  of  a  pure  heart, 
and  of  a  good  conscience,  and  of  faith  unfeigned,  1  Tim.  i.  5. 

If  this  law  of  love  shall  conduct  the  sinner  to  a  knowledge  of  his 
misery,  he  must  then  know  that  it  hath  a  relation  to  the  covenant 
of  grace,  as  a  rule  of  gratitude.     Paul  views  it  thus,   Rom.  xii.  and 
xiii.  and  the  instructor,  in  the  doctrine  of  gratitude.     This  law  hath 
a  respect  also  to  the  covenant  of  vv'orks,  as  the  condition  of  it,  which 
God  demanded  of  man,  with  a  promise  of  life,  and  a  threatening  of 
death.     In  this  manner  is  the  law  exhibited  in  the  text,  as  appears 
from  the  connexion  :  and  it  is  thus  also  proposed  by  the  instructor 
in  our  present  Lord's  day,  in  order  to  convince  and  humble  the  sin- 
ner.    It  is  necessary  to  explain  here  in  some  measure  the  covenant 
of  works    Tlie  good,  holy,  and  righteous  Creator,  and  Supreme  Ruler 
established  this  covenant  before  the  fall  with  Adam,  who  was  holy 
and  able    to  fulfil  the  condition  of  it,  and  it  was  established  in  him, 
as  the  head,  with  the  whole  human  race.    The  Lord  demanded  that 
Adam  should  obey  him  perfectly,  and  thus  love  God  and  his  neigh- 
bour.   This  demand  was  co  natural  to  him  and  all  his  posterity  with 
the  image  of  God  ;  which  appears  from  the  remains  of  this  law  in 
the  heathens,  Rom.  ii.  14,  15.     It  is  true,  we  read  only  of"  the  cov- 
enant of  eating  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,"  Gen.  ii. 
17.  but  this  can  be  considered  only  as  a  probationary  command, 
whereby  Adam  was  to  be  proved  for  some  time,  whether  he  would 
continue  good,  or  become  evil,  and    whether  he  would  love  God 
more  than  the  creature,   or  the  creature  more  than  God  ;  as  the 
Saviour  commanded  that  presumptuous  young  man  "  to  sell  all  his 
goods,  and  give  to  the  poor,"  that  he  might  prove  him,  whether  he 
had,  as  he  pretended,  truly  "  kept  the  whole  law  from  his  youth  up," 
Matt.  xix.  17,  22.     This  demand  God  enforced  with  the  promise  of 
life,  that  he  might  encourage   Adam  to  observe  it  perfectly  :  "For 
Moses  describeth  the  righteousness  which  is  of  the  law,  that  the  man 
who  doth  those  things  shall  live  by  them,"  as  Paul  explains  it,  Rom. 


feUT  OF  THE  liAW.     II.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  3,  4,  5.         25 

X.  5.     Which  hfe  was  sealed  to  him  by  the  tree  of  life.     By  this 
life  we  must  understand  not  only  corporal  and  spiritual,  but  ako  eter- 
nal life  :  and  that  not  only  in  Paradise,  but  also  in  heaven  itself,  into 
which  he  should  be  admitted  after    he  time  of  his  probation.     For 
whatever  the  elect  sinner  obtains  by  Christ,  he  lost  in  Adam,  and 
therefore  also  everlasting  life  in   heaven.     This  is  shown  with  the 
utmost  evidence  by  the  apostle,  Rom.  v.  12,  19.  viii.  3,  4.     God  en- 
forced his  commi^ind  also  with  a  threatening,  that  "  he  should  surely 
die,"  if  he  transgressed.     See  Gen.  ii.  If.  By  which  we  must  neces- 
sarily understand  corporal,  spiritual  and  eternal  death  ;   ^vhich  threat- 
ening is  otherwise  called  the  curse  :  "  For   it  is  written,  cursed  is 
every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things,  Arritten  m  the  book  of  the 
law  to  do  them,"  Gal.  iii.  10.     Neither  our  time  nor  method  will 
permit  us  to  enter  largely  upon  this  subject,  in  order  to  prove  the 
reality  of  this  covenant.     We  say  briefly,  that  the  constituent  parts 
of  the  covenant,   to   wit,  the   covenanting   parties,   the  condition, 
promise,  threatening,  and  the  seal  of  the  covenant,  or  the  tree  of 
life,,  occur  in   many  passages  of  scripture,  particularly  Gen.  ii.  17. 
Certainly  Hosea  vi.  7,  compared  with  Job  xxxi.  3S,  supposeth  that 
Adam  stood  in  a  covenant  relation  with  God.     Paul  teacheth  Rom» 
yii.  1,  2,  3.  that  the  sinner  ib  bound  to  the  law,  as  the  woman  is  to 
her  husband  by  a  marriage  covenant.     All  the  parts  of  the  covenant 
of  works  are  opposed  to  all  the  parts  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  as 
"  Adam  and  Christ,"  Rom.  v.  1  Cor.  xv.  "  Works  and  grace,"  Rom. 
vi.  U.  xi.  6.   "  The  law  of  works  and  the  law  of  faith,"  Rom.  iii.  ! 
37,  28.  See  also  Rom.  viii.  3,  4. 

Inasmuch  now  as  Adam,  and  in  him  all  his  posterity,  have  broken 

this  covenant,  as  will  appear  upon  the  seventh  question,  therefore  the 

law  that  promised  life  to  them  upon  their  keeping  of  it,  could  not 

adjudge  them  to  life.     For  "  the  law  cannot  do  this,  because  it  is 

weak  through  the  flesh,"  Rom.  viii.  3.     The  law  condemns  them, 

«  it  worketh  wrath,"  Rom.  iv.  15.  it  declares  to  them  that  »'  tlicy  are 

sunder  the  curse, '  Ga!.  iii.  10.  and  discovereth  to  thern  that  they  are 

■wretched  and   miserable  ;  for  "  we  know  "  as  Paul   declares,  Roiti. 

iii.  19,  20.  "  that  whatsoever  things  the  law  saith,  it  saith  to  them 

who  are   under  the  law  -•  that  every  mouth  may  be   stopped,  and  all 

the  world   may  become  guilty  before   God.  Therefore  by  the  deeds 

•f  the  law  there  shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in   his  sight :  for  by  the 

law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin."  And  for  this  end,  namely,  that  the  law 

may  convince  man  of  his  misery,  it  still  remains  m  *'  the  heathens, 

who  do  by  nature  the  things  contained  in  the  law,  accusing  or  else 

excusing  themselves,"  Rom-  ii.  14,  15.     But  the  law  is  become  ^ 

H 


36  THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERY 

obscure,  that  it  is  scarcely  legible  any  more,  and  it  is  therelbre  not 
su-iicisini  to  drscover  the  sinner's  misery  to  him.  God  nevertheless 
\villinij;  through  his  free  mercy  to  prepare  sinners  for  salvation,  and 
for  this  end  to  humble  them  by  the  knowledge  of  their  misery,  re- 
published hi<^  law  in  the  clearest,  and  most  solemn  manner  from 
mount  Hort^b,  with  exceedmgly  dreadful  tokens,  that  he  might  by 
that  law  convince  the  breakers  of  the  covenant  of  their  damnable 
condition.  Therefore  the  apostle  saith,  Rom.  v.  20.  "The  law  enter- 
ed, that  the  offence  might  abound-"  God  did  indeed  give  his  law 
that  it  might  be  a  rule  of  gratitude  for  those  who  were  in  the  cove- 
nant of  grace,  Exod.  xx.  which  he  had  established  with  Israel,  Exod. 
xix.  but  also  that  he  miq^ht  teach  the  sinner  his  misery.  All  the 
Israelites  were  not  the  true  covenant  people  of  God :  many  entered 
only  outwardly  into  the  covenant,  and  viewed  it  simply  as  a  covenant 
of  works,  w^hich  they  were  bound  to  Observe  by  their  own  strength 
as  tney  said,  "  All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken,  we  will  do,"  Exod.  xix. 
8.  xxiv.  3.  And  in  the  same  manner  have  the  latter  Jews  also  con- 
ducted toward  the  lav,  as  Paul  accuseth  them,  Rom.  ix.  31,  32.  x. 
2,  3,  "  They  will  be  under  the  law,  and  in  bondage,"  to  it,  Gal  iv. 
21,  25.  And  so  the  law  serveth  only  to  convince  them  of  their 
misery,  and  ta  condemn  them,  and  is  "  a  ministration  of  death  and 
condemnation"  to  them,  2  Cor.  iii  7,  9.  God  gave  the  law  even  to 
the  believing  Israelites  under  the  Old  Testament,  to  humble  them, 
by  discovering  their  imperfection  to  them,  and  that  he  might  cause 
them  to  seek  their  salvation  in  the  Messiah,  who  was  to  come.  For 
"  tJie  law  was  added  to  the  promise,"  to  discover  "  transgressions :" 
the  church  was  *'  kept  under  the  law,  shut  up,  and  the  law  was  her 
school  master,  to  bring  her  to  Christ,"  Gal.  iii.  19,  23,  24.  And  the 
law  serveth  still  to  convince  Jews  and  Gentiles  of  their  misery :  as 
Paul  mtimates  in  the  text,  and  in  \.hat  he  had  said  before,  vrs.  9, 
30.  The  law  is  also  exceedingly  well  calculated  to  teach  the  sinner 
his  misery  :  for  it  is  Hke  a  glass,  to  show  him  his  spots  and  defor- 
mity ;  and  like  a  right  rule,  to  show  him  his  declinations,  crooked 
ways,  and  unrighteousness,  1  John  iii-  4. 

if  the  sinner  shall  learn  his  misery  from  the  law,  he  must  come 
to  himseif,  compare,  and  examine  himself  by  the  law.  Therefore 
the  instructor  brings  him  to  himself,  and  asks  him,  "  Canst  thou  keep 
all  these  things  perfectly  ?"  and  he,  surveying;  himself  and  his  ac- 
tionr,saith,  >■'  In  no  wise  :  for  I  am  prone  by  nature  to  hate  God  and 
my  neighbour  "  It  is  supposed  here,  that  we  must  keep  the  law 
perfccllvj  according  to  the  covenant  of  works,  if  we  shall  enter  into 
lifcr    *'  If  tb.ou  v.ilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the  commandments,"  saith 


OUT  OF  TilC  LAW.     II.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  3,  4,  5.        2? 


Christ  to  the  young  man,  who  sousjht  his  righteousness  by  the  law, 
Matt.  xix.  17.  See  also  Luke  x.  2S,  26,  27,  28.  It  is  shown  in  the 
exposition  of  the  seventh  question,  that  naan  was  once  able  to  keep 
the  law,  and  in  the  exposition  of  the  eighth,  that  he  cannot  keep  it 
now,  and  of  the  ninth,  that  he  is  still  obligated  to  keep  it.  We  will 
therefore  not  busy  ourselves  at  present  with  proving,  that  man  is 
without  strength  for  that  which  is  good,  because  we  must  do  this  in 
order  upon  the  eighth  and  ninth  questions.  It  will  suffice  at  present, 
to  know  that  the  sinner  hath  not  kept  the  law,  "  but  is  prone  l)y 
nature  to  hate  God  and  his  neighbour."  This  ansv/er  is  an  occasion 
of  great  offence  to  the  Pelagians  :  they  imagine  that  human  nature 
hath  not  been  violated,  or  that  it  hath  been  at  most  only  weakened, 
and  that  the  will  of  man  is  free,  and  that  he  can  keep  the  law  per- 
fectly ;  but  they  add  for  decency's  sake,  «  with  the  help  of  God,"  and 
they  say  "  that  nature,  although  corrupt,  is  inclined  with  the  help  of 
grace  to  love  God  and  our  neighoour."  But  the  grace  of  God  doth 
not  help,  but  it  changes  nature  :  >'  We  must  be  changed  by  the  re- 
newing of  our  mind,"  Rom.  xii.  2,  and  "  become  new  creatures/'  2 
Cor.  V.  17.  Eph.  ii.  10.  Nature  is  indeed  wholly  degenerate,  men 
are  "  a  crooked  and  perverse  generation,"  Deut.  xxxii.  5. 

But  it  behooves  us,  lest  we  should  be  misconstrued.te  inquire  what 
we  are  to  understand  here  by  nature,  and  how  it  is  prone  to  hate 
God  and  our  neighbour.  By  nature  we  do  not  understand  here  the 
upright,  or  the  new  created  nature  of  man  ;  for  this  is  inchned  to 
love  God  and  our  neighbour ;  but  the  corruption  of  man,  which  is 
become  as  it  were,  his  nature,  so  that  "  he  is  a  natural  man,  not 
having  the  Spirit,"  Jude  vrs.  19.  2  Cor.  ii.  14.  and  thus  nature  is 
"  the  old  man,  and  the  body  of  sin,"  Rom.  vi.  6,  which  remains  still 
in  part  in  the  regenerate,  as  Paul  complains,  Rom.  vii.  This  is  the 
sense  in  which  the  catechism  useth  the  word  nature  here  ;  for  it 
speaks  of  a  man  who  lives  yet  under  the  broken  covenant  of  works, 
w!io  is  "  a  child  of  wrath  by  nature,"  Eph.  ii.  3,  and  who  is  not  yet 
delivered,  but  must  be  dealt  with,  in  order  to  his  deliverance. 

This  corrupt  "  nature  is  prone  to  hate  God  and  our  neighbour.'* 
Thus  speaks  the  instructor  according  to  the  word  oftiod:  If  we 
should  cite  every  passage  of  scripture,  which  declares  this  expressly, 
we  should  extend  our  discourse  to  an  undue  length,  and  weary  both 
you  and  ourselves.  See  what  is  said  on  this  subject,  Exod.  xx.  5« 
Numb.  X.  35.  Deut.  vii.  10.  xxxii.  41.  Job.  xv  25,  26.  Psalm  xxi- 
8.  Ixviii.  1.  Ixxxi.  15.  cxxxix.  20.  Prov.  viii.  36.  John  xv.  IS,  23, 
24.  Rom.  i.  30.  viii.  7.  And  not  only  the  nature  of  some  abomina- 
ble wretches,  who  sin  against  God  with  a  high  hand,  but  the  nature 


28  THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERY 

of  every  individual,  is  so  degenerate.  Paul  "  proves  that  Jev^^s  and 
(Gentiles  are  all  under  sin  ;  as  it  is  written,  There  is  none  righteous, 
no  not  one  :  they  are  all  gone  out  of  the  way,"  Rom.  iii  9?  18,  and 
although  the  word  of  Crod  did  not  assert  this,  experience  would  still 
teach  it.  He  who  attends  to  the  emotions,  issues,  and  inclinations 
of  the  heart  in  himself,  and  in  others,  will  be  convinced  by  experi- 
ence, that  what  the  instructor  saith  here  is  the  truth.  For  (1)  all 
the  thoughts,  considerations,  and  imaginations  of  sinful  nature  con- 
cerning what  God  hath  revealed  or  commanded,  are  wholly  "con- 
trary to  God's  thoughts,"  Isaiah  Iv.  8.  "  The  carnal  mind  is  enmity 
against  God  :  for  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed 
can  il  he,"  saith  the  apostle,  Rom.  viii.  7.  There  are  "  imaginations 
and  high  things,  that  exalt  themselves  a5i:ainst  the  knowledge  of 
God,"  2  Cor  X.  5.  For  whence  else  proceed  so  many  evil  and  hate- 
ful opinions  and  iniquities,  that  do,  as  it  were,  deluge  the  world  ?  (2) 
Sinful  nature  doth  not  surely  love  God  ;  for  where,  and  in  what  man, 
who  hath  no  more  than  nature,  do  we  see  tliat  high  estimation  of 
the  Lord,  that  ardent  desire  of  union  with  him,  and  of  enjoying  him, 
that  cheerful  satisfaction  in  God,  and  that  steadfast  inclination  to  do 
his  will,  and  that  of  hone  other,  heartily  ?  It  is  certain,  that  where 
there  is  no  love,  there  must  be  hatred  :  and  that  v/here  there  is 
hatred,  there  is  no  love  :  See  this.  Judges  xiv.  16.  xvi.  15.  (3)  The 
sinner  loves  nothing  by  nature  but  sin.  This  appears  from  all  those 
evil  emotions  of  the  sinful  nature,  and  from  the  sinners  cherishing 
of  thos'j  emotions..  He  seeks  his  honour,  pleasiire  and  profit  in  sin» 
I^e  is  so  closely  wedded  to  it,  that  "  though  such  a  fool  should  be  brayed 
in  a  mortar  with  a  pestil  among  wheat,  yet  would  not  his  foolishness 
depart  from  him,"  Prov.  xxvii.  22.  Now  he  who  so  loves  that  which 
the  Lord  hates,  doth  not  he  hate  the  Lord  ?  surely  the  Lord  judges 
so  :  '*  He  I'aat  sinneth  against  me,  wrongeth  his  own  soul ;  all  they 
that  hate  me  love  death,"  saith  he  by  the  mouth  of  Solomon,  Prov. 
viii.  36.  (4)  The  sinner  ends  with  all  that  he  ieth  in  himself.  It  is 
the  nature  of  love  to  God  to  do  all  things  for  the  Lord's  sake,  even 
"  eating  and  drinking,"  1  Cor.  x.  31,  but  the  sinner  is  prone  by  na- 
ture to  do  all  things  for  his  own  sake  :  he  imagines  "  that  he  is  some- 
thing, and  some  great  one,"  with  Theudas  and  Simon  the  sorcerer, 
Acts  V.  36.  viii.  9,  and  he  therefore  wishes  that  all  things  should 
issue  for  him,  and  so  "  he  sets  his  heart  as  God's  heart,"  Ezek.  xxviii. 
2.  He  aims  even  at  the  throne  and  crown  of  God  :  for  "  he  stretch- 
eth  out  his  hand  against  God,  and  strengtheneth  himself  against  the 
Almighty  ;  he  runneth  upon  him,  even  upon  his  neck,  upon  the 
thick  bosses  of  his  buckler/'  saith  Eliph^3,  Job  xy.  25,  26,     And  this 


OUT  OF  THE  LAW.     11.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  S,  4  5.        29 

is  natural  to  the  sinner,  he  hath  inherited  it  with  his  nature  from  his 
parents,  who,  while  they  were  in  Paradise,  wished  to  "  be  hke  Ood," 
Gen.  iii.  5,  6,  22.  And  what  think  ye  ?  is  not  this  hating  God  ?  (5) 
Kow  doth  the  nature  of  man  act,  when  God  walketh  contrary  to 
man  !  How  fretful  and  sullen  is  nature  !  how  doth  she  censure  the 
dealings  of  God,  and  complain  with  great  discontentment,  as  though 
God  afflicted  her  wron:^-fully  !  When  the  sinner  is  hardly  bestead 
and  hungry,  he  then  frets,  curses  his  God  and  king,  and  looks  up- 
ward," Isaiah  viii.  21.  Even  when  the  wind  and  weather  arc  not  as 
he  wishes,  he  murmurs,  and  requires  that  God  should  wait  on  him 
as  his  slave  with  all  his  elements ;  and  when  he  doth  not,  he  cen- 
sures the  government  of  the  Lord.  What  an  abominable  monster 
is  man  !  and  into  what  a  bottomless  pit  of  horrible  wickedness  is  he 
fallen  headlong  1  (6)  Further,  doth  God  attempt  to  excite  the  sinner 
to  obey  and  love  him,  by  convincmg  him  sensibly  of  his  hateful 
heart,  and  of  his  abominal)le  condition,  and  by  drawing  him  from 
his  sweet  sins,  that  he  may  bring  him  under  his  yoke,  how  doth  hQ 
struggle  against  it,  "  like  a  heifer  unaccustomed  to  the  yoke,  that  he 
may  break  those  bands,  and  cast  away  those  cords  from  him  1" 
Psalm  ii.  3.  He  will  not  bov/  and  yield  to  such  strait  bonds  :  "  He 
is  stiff-necked,  and  uncircumcised  in  heart  and  ears,  he  resists  the 
Holy  Ghost,"  Acts  vii.  51.  Yea,  he  is  unwilling  to  do  the  least 
thuig,  by  which  he  may  serve  God  :  "  he  says.  Behold  what  a  weari- 
ness is  it !  and  ye  have  snuffed  at  it,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,"  Mai. 
1.  13.  Once  more,  (7)  The  natural  man  hates  his  neighbour,  and 
therefore  he  doth  not  love  God,  but  hates  him.  This  the  beloved 
disciple  of  Christ  teacheth  us,  I  John  iv.  20. 

Sinful  man  is  prone  by  nature  not  only  to  hate  God,  but  "  his 
neighbour  also,"  We  were  sometimes  hateful  and  hating  one 
another,"  saith  Paul,  Tit.  iii.  3.  Do  wc  not  see  this  daily  in  our- 
selves and  in  others  ?  (a)  For  nothing  is  more  evident,  than  that  one 
man  despises  another :  every  one  thinks  that  he  is  the  best,  and  the 
worthiest,  and  he  therefore  esteems  his  neighbour  less  than  himself, 
and  he  cannot  endure  it,  that  he  is  honoured  and  loved  more  than 
himself:  he  will  be  angry  with  him,  and  will  not  be  able  to  "  speak 
peaceably  to  him,"  as  Joseph's  brethren  manifested  their  hatred  to 
him,  "  when  they  saw  that  his  father  loved  him  more  than  all  his 
brethren,"  Gen.  xxxvii.  4.  (b)  It  is  certain,  and  daily  experience 
sheweth  it,  that  the  natural  man  hath  but  little  inclination  to  do  good 
to  his  neighbour,  when  he  cannot  gain  aught  by  it  himself.  When 
his  neighbour  hath  need  of  him,  and  desires  aught  of  him,  he  will 
behave  himself  proudly  and  despitefully  toward  him,  because  he  will 


3p  THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERY 

pot  spare  aught  of  what  he  hath,  as  Nabal  showed  his  hatred  to 
David,  1  Sam.  xxv.  10,  11.  (c)  Who  knows  not  that  the  sinner  can- 
not endure  to  see  the  welfare  of  his  neighbour  ?  will  not  the  honour, 
profit  or  pleasure  of  another,  fill  him  with  envy,  and  cause  him  to 
persecute  his  neighbour  even  to  death  ?  The  Pharisees  had  no  other 
reason  for  opposing  Jesus  and  his  apostles  with  such  a  great  malig- 
nity. Matt,  xxvii.  18.  Acts  v,  14 — 18.  (d)  How  often  do  we  see  the 
smncr  start  up,  inflamed  with  intense  hatred  and  violent  anger,  on 
account  of  the  smallest  injury,  which  he  suffers,  or  only  imagines 
that  he  suffers  :  he  is  forthwith  ready  with  wicked  Lamech  to  re- 
venge it  sevenfold,"  Gen.  iv.  23,  24.  (e)  How  can  any  one  under- 
take to  vindicate  the  wicked  inclinations  of  sinful  nature,"  it  surely 
manifests  its  v.'ickedness,  when  it  hates  even  those  who  endeavour 
to  amend  and  save  it  by  faithful  reproofs  and  admonitions  :  the  sin- 
ner cannot  indeed  brook  that  his  sins  and  eternal  misery  should  be 
so  plainly  and  nakedly  discovered  to  him.  "  He  hates  him  who  re- 
bukes in  the  gate,  and  he  abhors  him  who  speaks  uprightly,"  Amos 
V.  10.     See  also  Isaiah  xxix.  21.   t  Kings  xxii   8. 

But  with  what  cloaks  of  shame  will  men  hide  this  filth  of  sin  ?  (1; 
Will  it  be  said,  that  the  person  v/ho  speaks  here  is  a  believer,  who 
professed  in  the  first  question  that  he  belonged  to  Christ,  and  who  is 
truly  inclined  tolove  God  and  his  neighbour  ?  This  v/ould  appear  some- 
what plausible,  if  the  catechism  were  a  confession,  which  every  be- 
liever made  upon  each  question  concerning  himself  and  the  temper 
of  his  mind,  and  not  an  instruction  in  the  Christian  doctrine,  which 
introduceth  one  while  a  believer  as  speaking,  and  then  an  unconvert- 
ed  person,  and  thus  here  a  smner,  who  is  subject  to  a  broken  cove-, 
nant  ot  works.  And  admit  that  a  believer  speaks  here,  it  is  never- 
theless with  respect  to  his  former  condition,  when  he  had  such  a 
v/icked  nature,  and  with  respect  to  the  old  man  and  nature,  which 
still  remains  in  him  in  a  great  measure,  as  Paul  speaks  of  himself, 
Rom.  vii.  (c)  Doth  this  answer  disturb  the  weak  tvoo  much,  we  may 
not  therefore  reject  any  necessary  article  of  the  fundamental  doctrines 
of  Christianity.  The  weak  must  be  instructed,  and  convinced  of 
their  corrupt  nature  :  but  I  do  not  believe  that  weak  believers  are 
offended  at  this ;  for  they  see,  and  are  too  much  grieved  on  account 
of  their  evil  nature.  They  are  the  Pelagians  who  are  offended  here, 
for  they  will  not  be  discovered  to  themselves  that  they  may  seek 
their  whole  salvation  in  Christ  alone.  (3)  If  we  do  not  see  such  de- 
pravity in  all  men,  it  is  either  because  we  have  not  eyes  to  see  it, 
because  m  my  lu.ve  no::  an  opportunity  to  exert  their  hateful  nature. 
Peter  could  suv  from  his  iove  to  Christ,  "  I  will  in  no  wise  deny 


OUT  OF  THE  LAW.     II.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  3,  4,  5.        3i 

thes;"  but  not  -when  he  ^vas  in  the  hall  of  Caiaphas  :  others  are 
prevented  by  restraining  grace  from  sinning  against  the  Lord,  as 
Abirnelech,  Gen.  xx.  6  :  and  some  are  converted  and  strive  against 
themselves.  (4)  If  men  cannot  hate  God  as  the  supreme  f^ood,  they 
can  hate  l;im  as  the  supreme  evil.  The  sinner  is  blind,  and  the 
loveliness  of  God  is  hidden  from  him  :  the  opinions  that  he  forms 
of  God  are  hateful  :  "  The  way  of  the  Lord  is  not  equal,"  saith  the 
sinner,  Lzek.  xxxiii.  20,  and  "  it  is  vain  to  serve  God,"  2cc.  Mai.  iii. 
14,  15,  and  therefore  he  hates  God. 

If  we  now  compare  our  evil  nature  with  the  commands  of  God,  we 
will  see  clearly  and  plainly,   that  we  are  miserable  and  abominable. 
For  it  appears  kence,  (a)  that  we  are  altogether  different  from  what 
v/e  ought  to  be.   We  ought  to  love  God  and  our  neighbour  perfectly, 
and  this  ought  to  be  natural  to  us.    But  instead  of  this  we  are  prone 
by  nature  to  hate  God  and  our  neighbour,  and  we  are  thus  *'  a  crook- 
ed and  perverse  generation,"  Deut.   xxxii.  5.  Philip,  ii.    15.  (b)  It 
appears  hence  also,  that  v/e   have  no  portion  in  the  life  which  was 
promis'jd  upon  the  perfect  love  of  God  and  our  neighbour  :  but  that 
we  deserve  death  and  the  curse,  and  are  already  condemned  thereto. 
"  For  as  many  as  art  of  the  works  of  the  law  are  under  the  curse  : 
for  it  is  written.  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things 
which  are  written   in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them,"  Gal.  iii.  10. 
(c)  It  is  also  evident,  that  as  long  as  we  are  thus  disposed,  we  cannot 
amend  our  conduct,  and  therefore  cannot  surmount  our  misery.  For 
our  nature  is  wholly  degenera.e,  we  cannot  do  any  thing  but  sin  and 
transgress  the  law  of  God  by  hating  him  and  our  neighbour  ;  this  is 
indeed  become  our  nature  ;  and  who  can  alter  his  nature  and  natural 
disposition  ?  "  Can   the  Ethiopian  change   his  skin,  or  the  leopard 
his  spots  ?  then  ye  also  may  do  good,  that  are  accustomed  to  do  evil," 
saith  the  Lord  to  his  own  people,  Jer.  xiii.  23. 

And  thus  the  law  teacheth  the  sinner  his  misery,  (1)  As  a  rule, 
which  showeth  him  that  he  v/as  obli  cd  under  the  sanction  of  a 
promise  of  life,  and  a  threatening  of  death,  to  love  God  and  his 
neighbour  perfectly.  The  conscience,  enlightened  and  informed  by 
the  law,  acknowledges  and  approves  of  this  obligation,  and  saith 
\vith  Paul,  Rom.  vii.  i2.  "  The  law  is  holy  ;  and  the  com.raandment 
is  holy,  and  just,  and  good." 

2.  The  law  is  also  an  accu-^er,  and  witness  to  him,  and  as  such 
awakens  his  sleeping  conscience,  and  calls  him  to  himself,  and  be- 
fore the  tribunal  of  God,  to  behold  there  with  shaine  his  hateful  and 
evil  nature,  and  his  abominable  conduct.  *' There  is  one  that  ac- 
cuseth  you,  even  Moses,"  saith  the  Saviour,  John  v.  45.     And  thus 


32  THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERY 

"  the  word"  of  the  law  "  is  a  judge  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the 
hearts,"  Heb.  iv.  12      See  also  Rom.  li    14,  15. 

3.  The  law  teacheth  him  his  misery  also  as  a  judge,  who  upon 
comparing;  the  duty  of  man  with  his  irregular  conduct,  pronounces 
the  dreadful  sentence  of  eternal  condemnation  on  him  :  *'  For  the  law 
worketh  wrath,"  Rom.  iv.  5.  "  It  stops  the  moutli"  of  the  trans- 
gressor, Rom.  iii.  19,  renders  him  anxious,  ashamed,  humble,  con- 
cerned, and  tender,  1  Kings  xxii.  11,  10,  and  causes  him  to  confess 
his  sins,  and  to  justify  God,  Psalm  li.  4. 

liut  as  no  word  of  God,  nor  any  use  which  man  can  make  of  it 
will  affect  the  mind,  unless  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  himself  influence 
the  heart,  so  neither  can  the  law  of  God,  nor  a  man's  meditations, 
teach  him  his  misery,  unless  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  accompany  them, 
and  "  convince  him  of  sin,  of  righteousness  and  judgment,"  John 
xvii.  8,  cause  him  to  "  mourn  and  lament  bitterly,"  Zech.  xii.  10, 
and  thus  become  to  him  "  a  Spirit  of  bondage  to  fear,"  Rom.  viii.  15. 
APPLICATION. 

If  time  would  permit,  we  might  easily  show  fiom  Vk'hat  hath  been 
said,  (a)  in  opposition  to  the  Socinians,  that  the  love  of  our  enemies 
was  commanded  under  the  Old  Testament  also,  inasmuch  as  our 
enemies  are  also  our  neighbours,  and  the  love  of  our  neighbour  is 
enjoined  by  the  law  and  the  prophets  :  (b)  in  opposition  to  the  Pa- 
pists, that  a  sinner  is  not  justified  before  God  by  the  law,  because 
*'  by  the  Jaw  is  the  knowledge  of  sin."  Paul  teacheth  us  this,  Rom. 
iii.  19,  20.  (c)  and  in  opposition  to  the  Aniinomians,  or  adversaries 
of  the  law,  that  the  law  must  siill  be  preached  strictly  :  for  we  learn 
thus  to  know  our  misery,  which  is  certainly  necessary.  But  we  may 
not  busy  ourselves  with  these,  though  othet  wise  exceedingly  weighty 
matters.  We  hasten  to  conclude,  and  have  still  many  important 
matters  to  lay  before  you  for  your  profit. 

Behold,  friends,  how  we  learn  our  misery  from  the  law,  and  how 
we  are  conducted  by  it  to  deliverance,  and  to  a  blessed  consolation. 
What  think  ye  '  have  ye,  (I  speak  to  you  all,  and  to  each  of  you  in 
particular)  have  ye  I  say  already  seen  in  the  law  your  misery  with 
sorroiv,  shame,  and  concern  ?  Is  it  evident  to  you,  and  do  ye  know 
experimentally,  and  with  anxiety,  that  ye  have  such  an  evil  disposi- 
tion, and  are  therefore  hateful,  and  deserve  condemnation  ?  Ye  have 
been  now  so  long  instructed  in  the  law.  Sabbath  after  Sabbath  it  hath 
been  *ead  in  your  hearing ;  *  if  ye  have   had  any  decent  edueation, 

•  Tins  refers  to  a  custom  of  the  Dutch  church  in  Hollancf,  of  reading  the  ten 
commandments  every  sabbath,  at  the  beginning;  of  publick  worship,  which 
custom  is  still  retained  in  some  o*"  the  Dutch  churches  in  America,  It  is  the 
practice  to  read  also  the  creed,  and  a  chapter  from  either  the  Old  or  New- 
Testament,  at  the  beginning  of  worship- 


dtjT  OF  THE  LAW.      II.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  5,  4,  5.       33 

ye  have  been  made  to  learn  and  say  it  by  heart ;  and  how  often  hath 
t.he  law  been  explained  to  you  fully,  and  in  order.  But  who,  yea  who 
hath  learned  his  misery  out  of  it,  so  that  it  hath  humbled  him  ? 
surely  very  few.  With  the  church  of  Laodicea,  our  present  Chris- 
tians imagine  that  '^'  they  arc  become  rich,  and  increased  in  c;oods, 
and  have  need  of  nothing  :  and  they  know  not  that  they  arc  v.'retch- 
ed,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blintl,  and  naked,"  Rev.  iii.  17.  Is 
not  this  true,  is  it  not  a  glaring  truth  ?  For, 

1.  The  most  of  you  have  never  yet  "  come  to  yourselves"  with 
the  prodigal  son,  Luke  xv.  17.  Ye  concern  yourselves  with  every 
thing  that  doth  not  belong  to  yoii,  but  with  respect  to  yourselves,  ye 
are  never  at  home,  and  always  r,trangers  ;  the  honours,  pleasures 
and  profits  of  the  world  do  so  influence  your  whole  heart,  your  whole 
soul,  your  whole  understanding,  and  your  whole  strength,  and  do  so 
captivate  your  affections,  that  those  visible  things  "  have  shut  your 
eyes,  that  ye  cannot  ses  ;  and  your  heart  that  ye  cannot  understand  ; 
ye  feed  upon  ashes  ;  a  deceived  heart  hath  turned  you  aside,  so  that 
ye  cannot  deliver  your  souls,  nor  say,  is  there  not  a  lie  in  our  right 
hand  ?"  Isaiah  xliv.  18,20.  And  therefore  "  ye  do  not  repent  of 
your  wickedness,  saying,  what  have  I  done  ?"  Jer   viii.  6. 

2.  Many  of  you  think  that  your  heart  is  good :  ye  depend  upon  it 
and  "trust  in  it,  like  the  fool,"  Prov.  xxviii.  26.  Because  ye  are 
not  guilty  of  any  public  and  scandalous  enormities,  which  are  cog- 
nisable by  the  magistrate,  but  are  decent  and  devout,  therefore  ye 
are  ready  to  say  v/ith  that  presumptuous  young  man,  Matt.  xix.  "  All 
these  things  have  I  kept  from  my  youth  up  :  v>^hat  lack  I  yet  ?" 
Sometimes  ye  survey  yourselves  with  pleasure  and  admiration,  be- 
cause ye  are  so  wise,  diligent,  good  natured,  exceedingly  virtuous, 
and  not  so  wicked  and  abominable  as  this  and  that  person :  and  ye 
are  even  ready  to  thank  God  for  it  v/ith  the  Pharisee,  Luke  xviii.  1 1, 
12.  Ye  will  never  believe  that  ye  hate  God,  and  your  neighbour, 
and  no  man  is  able  to  convince  you  of  it.  Ye  may  believe,  and  be 
'able  to  deriionstrate  from  the  word  of  God  against  the  adversaries. 
that  man  is  prone  by  nature  to  hate  God  and  his  neighbour;  but 
that  ye  in  particular  are  co  evil  and  perverse,  ye  cannot  either  see 
or  believe. 

3.  It  is  true,  ye  ail  know  that  ye  are  great  sinners  :  but  how  do 
ye  knov/  this  ?  out  of  the  lav/,  and  by  comparing  yourselves  with  it? 
No,  but  only  from  report  and  heresay.  For  how  many  sins  have  ye  ? 
ye  say  indeed  that  your  r/ms  are  more  in  number  than  the  hairs  of 
your  head  ;  this  ye  have  heard  from  others,  and  ye  only  repeat  it 
without  thought  arr.ertheTT* :  for  ve  c?nnot  mention  six  sinr.,  of  which 


34  THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERV 

ye  are  guiUy.  For  ye  are  not,  as  ye  imagine,  idolaters,  profancrs  of 
God's  name  and  day  :  ye  have  always  been,  (according  to  your  opin- 
ion) even  during  your  childhood,  obedient  to  your  parents :  ye  are 
strangers  to  murder,  whoredomj  theft,  lying,  and  coveting  your  neigh- 
bour's goods,  and  have  an  aversion  from  such  abominations.  Where 
then  are  all  your  sins,  about  which  ye  make  such  an  ado,  as  if  ye 
knew  them  all  exceedingly  well  ?  But  ye  know  neither  the  spiritu- 
ality of  the  law,  nor  the  hateful  sink  of  your  own  heaits. 

4.  And,  friends,  if  ye  knew  your  misery,  would  ye  have  so  many 
cloaks  of  shame  at  hand  to  excuse  your  sins,  when  they  are  discoY- 
cred  to  you,  and  also  "  flatter  yourselves  so  in  your  own  eyes,  when 
your  iniquity  is  found  to  be  hateful  ?"  Psalm  xxxvi.  2.  Would  it 
indeed  displease  you  so,  when  your  abominable  and  miserable  condi- 
tion was  clearly  discovered  to  you,  and  when  we  would  awaken  you 
out  of  your  beloved  carelesness  ?  would  y  e  take  it  so  ill,  when  men 
did  not  honour  nor  love  you,  but  exposed  you  to  shame,  loss  and 
pain  ?  If  ye  knew  your  hateful  and  damnable  character,  ye  would 
certainly  see  that  ye  deserved  every  reproach  and  vexation ;  yea,  ye 
would  be  amazed,  that  such  monsters  as  ye  are,  should  enjoy  any 
good. 

5»  It  is  true,  some  of  you  know  their  misery,  they  see  without 
searching  that  they  are  abominable  :  for  their  sins  are  manifest,  and 
every  one  sees  them  ;  or  do  they  commit  sins  privately,  conscience 
accuseth  them,  and  tells  them  that  while  they  conduct  in  this  man- 
ner, they  cannot  be  saved.  But  I  pray  you  who  are  thus,  tell  us, 
have  your  sins  and  misery  ever  affected  your  hearts,  and  rendered 
you  concerned  and  anxious,  so  that  they  caused  you  to  cry  out  ear- 
nestly, "  What  must  we  do  to  be  saved  ?"  Acts  xvi.  30.  Others  are 
seized  like  "  Felix,  with  fear,"  Acts  xxiv.  25,  but  they  soon  recover 
from  their  seasick  qualms  :  when  your  hearts  are  wounded  in  this 
manner  with  a  sharp  arrow,  what  is  it  that  relieves  you  so  soon  ?  yc 
cannot  retain  those  grievous  thougjhts  with  you,  but  endeavour  to 
divert,  or  banish  them  by  doing  this  or  that :  or  ye  suppress  them  by 
some  duty,  by  breaking  off  this  or  that  sin,  by  reading  your  bible, 
baying  a  prayer,  weeping  heartily,  until  your  mind  be  somewhat 
cased,  and  upon  this  all  your  distress,  and  according  to  your  imagi- 
nation, all  your  misery  is  at  an  end  :  or  ye  dispel  your  concern  by 
vain  imaginations,  that  it  is  your  duty  to  believe  in  Christ,  that  your 
gloomy  thoughts  proceed  only  from  the  devil  and  from  your  unbe- 
lief:  and  thus  ye  deceive  yourselves  with  vain  imaginations,  and 
'•  say  not,  there  is  no  hope  ;  for  ye  have  found  the  life  of  your  hands; 
therefore  ye  ar^  not  grieved,"  Isaiah  Ivii.  10.     Or  ye  become  des- 


OUT  OF  THE  LAW.     II.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  3,  4,  5.        3:. 

perate,  and  think  it  is  so  now  :  if  I  must  perish,  how  can  I  help  it  ? 
as  well  1  as  another  :  and  so  ye  indulge  &  pernicious  discouragement 
and  carelessness,  saying  with  your  heart  and  actions,  like  the  impeni- 
tent Jews,  Ezek.  xxxiii.  10.  *•  If  our  transgressions  and  our  sins  be 
upon  us,  and  we  pine  away  in  them,  how  should  we  then  live  ?" 

But,  hearers,  ye  who  are  thus  disposed,  this  aggravates  your 
misery,  that  ye  do  not  yet  know  it.  To  hate  so,  and  to  be  so  hate- 
ful, and  not  to  know  it,  or  not  to  know  it  rightly,  how  dreadful  is  it ' 
How  shall  ye  be  delivered  ?  '•  Are  we  blind  also  r"  said  the  Pharisees. 
Jesus  said  unto  them.  If  ye  were  blind,  ye  woidd  have  no  sin  ;  buf 
now  ye  say,  v/e  see,  therefore  your  sin  remaineth,"  John  ix,  40,  41. 
If  ye  knew  your  misery  out  of  me  mw,  as  ye  ought,  ye  would  flee 
to  the  Mediator  and  be  deliverea :  but  now  ye  remain  in  yourselves, 
and  so  under  the  curse  of  the  broken  covenant  of  works,  as  Paul 
speaks.  Gal.  iii.  10  .\nd  ye  do  not  yet  possess  "Christ  for  justifi- 
cation, which  is  the  end  of  the  law,"  Rom.  x.  4.  What  hath  bewitch- 
ed you  ?  what  do  ye  imagine  ?  Have  ye  nothing  to  do  with  God  ? 
Is  he  not  holy  and  just  f  do  ye  think  that  it  is  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence to  him,  whether  ye  love  or  hate  him  and  your  neighbour  ?  He 
will  most  surely  and  most  severely  recompense  and  punish  the 
abominations  of  your  hearts  and  actions.  Do  ye  not  believe  it,  hear 
then  the  man  after  God's  own  heart  say,  Psalm  xxi  8 — 12.  "  Thine 
hand  shall  find  out  all  thine  enemies  ;  thy  right  hand  shall  find  out 
all  them  that  hate  thee.  Thou  shalt  make  them  as  a  fiery  oven  in 
the  time  of  thine  anger  :  the  Lord  shall  swallow  them  up  in  his 
wrath,  and  the  fire  shall  devour  them,"  &c. 

What  say  ye  ?  Arc  ye  desirous  to  be  delivered  from  your  misery, 
and  to  become  other  persons,  than  ye  are,  or  are  ye  not  ?  Will  ye 
remain  as  ye  are,  and  suffer  your  hearts  to  wander  after  the  W'  rid 
and  sin  without  concern  ?  Go  on  then,  but  know  that  your  end  will 
be  bitterness.  But  are  ye  desirous  to  obtain  grace  and  salvation,  and 
will  ye  earnestly  endeavour  henceforth  to  save  your  souls  in  God'f? 
way. 

1.  Believe  then  that  ye  are  so  abominable,  that  ye  hate  God  and 
your  neighbour,  and  are  therefore  in  the  highest  degree  punishable 
before  that  dreadful  judge,  that  ye  may  begin  to  suspect  yourselveSj 
and  to  be  afraid.  Whether  ye  see  it  or  not,  it  is  nevertheless  the 
truth,  that  ye  are  hateful,  and  hate  one  another.  God  saith  it  in  his 
word  ;  the  reformed  church,  with  which  ye  hold,  teaches  it  from  the 
scripture,  and  there  is  not  one  of  those  who  are  delivered,  but  he 
sees  it  experimentally  in  himself,   and  it  would  lead  you  also  into 


36  TKE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERY 

the  way  of  cleliverance,  if  ye  saw  it.     "  Only  acknowledge  thine  \nU 
quity,"  saith  the  Lord,  Jer.  iii.  3. 

2.  Know  that  ye  are  still  bound  to  the  law  of  works  in  order,  under 
the  san'  tion  of  a  promise  of  life,  and  a  threatening  of  death,  to  love 
God  and  your  neighbour  perfectly  :  and  that  since  ye  have  not  done 
this,  and  because  of  youi  wicked  nature,  cannot  do  it,  ye  are  still 
under  the  curse.  For  as  long  as  the  sinner  is  and  abides  in  l.is 
misery,  and  hath  not  been  convinced,  truly  regenerated,  and  convert- 
ed, and  haih  not  saving  faith  in  Christ,  so  long  he  is  and  abides  under 
the  law  of  works,  and  therefore  *'  under  the  curse,"  Gal,  iii.  10. 

3.  Examine  yourselves  with  a  full  purpose  of  heart  by  the  law, 
and  see  lio  w  far  ye  have  declined  from  the  demands  of  it.  Read  the 
catechism  once  and  again  from  the  thirty  third  to  the  forty  fifth 
Lord's  day,  and  see  what  virtues  are  commanded  and  what  vices  are 
forbidden  in  the  law:  and  consider  thoroughly  your  heat  and  ac- 
tions, that  ye  may  see  by  the  law  how  crooked  and  pervt  rse  ye  are. 
"  Lxamint:  yourselves  strictly,  yea  examine  yourselves  strictly,  O  ye 
listless  people,"  Zcph.  ii.  1. 

4.  Is  there  any  one,  who  beholds  with  shame,  concern  and  distress, 
his  hating,  hateful  and  punishable  nature,  let  him  flee  to  *'  Christ, 
the  end  of  the  law,"  Rom.  x.  4.  Sinner,  thou  who  art  concerned  ; 
he  calls  to  thee,  and  invites  thee,  *' Look  unto  me,  and  be  saved," 
saith  he,  Isaiah  xlv.  22.  "Come,  he  will  not  cast  thee  out,"  as  he 
saith,  John  vi  37  Do  not  stand  still  and  ponder  on  the  abominable- 
ness  and  gieatness  of  thy  sins,  nor  on  the  small  measure  of  thy  sor^ 
row;  It  is  great  enough,  if  it  render  thee  distressed,  and  dri^e  thee 
out  of  thyself:  our  concern  is  not  our  Saviour,  nor  is  it  in  itself 
agreeable  to  the  Lord  ;  but  it  must  serve  merely  to  cause  the  sinner 
to  seek  his  salvation  cut  of  himself  in  the  Son  of  God. 

But  with  respect  to  you,  O  believers,  (a)  See  from  what,  and  how  ye 
are  delivered  :  that  hateful  sin  of  yours,  with  wliich  ye  formerly  hated 
God  and  your  neighbour,  is  through  the  love  of  God  to  mankind  for- 
given :  ye  are  renewed  after  the  image  and  love  of  God,  and  have 
obtained  a  new,  yea,  "a  divine  nature,"  Titus  iii.  5,6.  2  Peter  i.  4. 
The  lav/  cannot  condemn  you  any  lon;j,er  :  "  for  ye  are  dead  to  the  law 
through  the  body  of  Christ,"  Rom.  vii.  4.  "  Sin,"  even  your  wicked 
nature,  "  shall  not  have  dominion  over  you,  for  ye  are  not  under  the 
law,  but  under  grace,"  Rom  vi.  14.  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  haih  borne 
for  you  the  curse,  to  which  ye  had  exposed  y©urselves  by  your  wicked 
hatred,  and  "  hath  delivered  you  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  having  been 
made  a  curse  for  you,"  Gal.  iii.  13.  Yea,  the  Lord  God  hath  made 
t'.r't  In-'  M'hich  condemned  you,  serve  you,  tliat  ye  might  be  delivered 


OUT  OF  THE  LAW.     II.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  3,  4  5.         37 

from  it  by  Christ,  when  he  convinced  you  by  the  law,  that  he  might 
drive  you  out  of  yourselves,  and  cause  you  to  seek  life  with  him : 
<^«  For  f  through  the  law  am  dead  to  the  law,  that  I  might  live  unto 
God,"  saith  the  apostle.  Gal.  ii.  19.  Behold  this  is  what  we  say, 
observe  God's  great  and  free  grace  and  love  in  this,  admire  it,  and 
praise  the  Lord,  with  Paul,  1  Tim.  i?  13,  14,  15.  (b)  Love  now  the 
Lord  your  God  with  all  your  might  and  most  heartily.  "  I  will  love 
thee  heartily,  O  Lord  my  strength,"  said  David,  v/hen  the  Lord  had 
deUvered  him  from  all  his  enemies.  Psalm  xviii.  1.  And  love,  for  the 
Lord's  sake,  your  neighbour  as  yourselves.  "  For  this  commandment 
have  we  from  him,  that  he  v/ho  loveth  God,  love  his  brother  also," 
1  John  iv.  21.  Ye  are  indeed  dead  to  the  lav/,  and  it  is  not  given  to 
you,  as  a  condition  of  the  covenant  of  %^  orks,  to  seek  life  by  it,  and 
to  be  condemned  by  it ;  but  it  is  given  to  you  a-;  a  rule  of  gratitude  : 
it  is  indeed  an  expression  of  the  image  of  God.  Ye  are  and  always 
remain  bound  to  the  Lord,  to  love  him  and  your  neighbour :  he  is 
worthy  to  be  loved  and  obeyed  on  his  own  account ;  he  hath  imprint- 
ed the  law  of  love  on  your  hearts  ;  yea  his  great  love  to  you  hath 
bound  your  natural  obligation  to  love  him,  more  strongly  on  you, 
and  the  love  of  Christ  should  constrain  you,"  2  Cor.  v.  14.  (c)  Exer- 
cise yourselves  yet  daily  in  seeking  a  knowledc^e  of  your  miseries 
through  the  lav/,  with  Paul,  Rom>.  vii.  Is  it  become  your  nature  to 
love  God  and  your  neighbour,  your  nature  is  nevertheless  not  per- 
fect :  there  are  still  many  wicked  humours  in  it,  which  oppose  God 
and  your  neighbour:  "Ye  knov/,"  with  the  apostle,  Rom.  vii.  18, 
"  that  in  you,  that  is,  in  your  flesh,  there  dwelleth  no  good  thing  :  for 
to  will  is  present  with  you  ;  but  hew  to  perform  that  which  is  good, 
ye  find  not."  This  would  conduce  to  your  happiness,  it  would  hum- 
ble your  souls,  cause  you  to  make  use  of  Christ  more,  and  to  be  more 
watchful,  (d)  Humble  and  abase  yourselves  in  secret  before  the 
Lord,  and  before  your  neighbour.  Will  ye  exalt  yourselves  on  ac- 
count of  the  excellency  of  the  revelation,  tliat  God  hath  delivered  you 
out  of  your  hateful  and  miserable  condition  ?  We  cannot  boast  of 
aught  but  what  we  have  of  ourselves,  and  what  is  worthy  to  be  boast- 
^A  of.  But  what  is  it  that  ye  have  of  and  in  yourselves  ?  is  it  not 
that  ye  hate  God  and  your  neighbour,  and  have  rendered  yourselves 
damnable  and  detestable  ?  are  yc  not  so  hateful  now  ?  Is  there  not 
now  yet  wickedness  enough  in  your  nature  to  make  you  repeatedly 
ashamed  ?  Is  there  aught  that  is  good  in  your  soul  ?  "  Who  maketh 
you  to  differ  ?  and  v/hat  have  ye  that  ye  have  not  received  ?  and  if 
ye  have  received  it,  why  do  yc  glory,  as  if  ye  had  not  received  it  ?" 
1  C>or.  iv.  7.     And  why  have  ye  received  it  ?  becau^.e  yc  were  sq 


38  THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  MISERY,  &c. 

virtuous  and  amiable,  or  should  become  so  of  yourselves  ?  Ye  know 
v/hat  ye  have  been,  and  still  would  be,  if  God  should  leave  you  to 
yourselves  ;  "  For  by  grace  are  ye  saved,  through  faith  ;  and  that 
not  of  yourselves  ;  it  is  the  gift  of  God.  Not  of  works,  lest  any  man 
should  boast,"  Eph.  ii.  8,  9.  Therefore  acknowledge  your  unworthi- 
ness,  and  shrink  into  nothing  in  your  owa  eyes  on  account  of  this 
divine  grace,  with  Paul  1  Cor.  xv.  8,  9,  10,  Do  ye  stand  in  need  of 
any  thing,  ask  it  of  the  Lord  with  humility.  Doth  he  chastise  you, 
justify  him,  and  submit  to  his  hand  ;  for  though  it  should  lie  ever  so 
heavy  on  you,  **  he  doth  still  not  deal  with  you  after  your  sins,  nor 
reward  you  according  to  your  iniquities,"  Psalm  ciii.  10.  If  he 
should  afflict  you  more  grievously  than  he  dotb,  it  would  be  only 
according  to  the  demerit  of  your  wickedness.  Do  evil  men  trample 
upon  you,  and  tread  you  under  foot,  ye  ought  not  to  be  so  angry  • 
can  any  man  wrong  you,  who  have  so  often,  and  in  the  highest  de- 
gree wronged  and  hated  both  God  and  man  ?  lay  your  hand  then. 
upon  your  mouth,  with  David,  who  said,  3  Sam.  xvi.  10.  "Let  him 
curse  :  for  the  Lord  hath  said  to  him,  Curse  David.  Who  shall  then 
say.  Wherefore  hast  thou  done  so?"  Hear  how  Paul  enjoins  on  be- 
lievers, Titus  iii.  2 — 7,  "  To  speak  evil  of  no  man,  to  be  no  brawlers, 
but  gentle,  shewing  all  meekness  to  all  men.  For  we  ourselves  also 
were  sometimes  foolish,  disobedient,  deceived,  serving  divers  lusts 
and  pleasures,  living  in  malice  and  envy,  hateful,  and  hating  one 
another.  But  after  that  the  kindness  and  love  of  God  our  Saviour 
toward  man  appeared,  he  saved  us,"  Sec.  Do  ye  see  any  one  fall  into 
a  hateful  iniquity,  do  not  wonder  at  it,  and  do  not  despise  him  ;  that 
root  of  wickedness  exists  in  you  also;  and  God  restrains  it,  that  it 
doth  not  spring  up,  and  bring  forth  still  more  abominable  fruits : 
"but  restore  such  an  one  in  the  spirit  of  meekness,  considering  your^ 
selves,  lest  ye  also  be  tempted,"  Gal.  vi.  1. 

Thus  ye  will  "  use  the  law  lawfully,  and  it  will  be  good  for  you," 
agreeably  to  I  Tim.  i.  8.  For  according  to  the  words  of  the  apostle, 
Gal.  vi.  16.  "As  many  as  walk  according  to  this  rule,  peace  and 
inercy  shall  be  upon  them."  Amon. 


1 


(   39   ) 
THE 

FIRST   CAUSE   OF 

GOOD  AND  EVILe 

III  LORD'S  DAY. 

Eccl.  vii.  29.  Lo,  this  only  have  I  found,  that  God  hath  made  mart 
upright ;  but  they  have  sought  out  many  inventions. 

Q.  6.  Did  God  then  create  man  so  evil  and  perverse  f 

A.  By  no  means  ;  but  God  created  iiian  good,  and  after  his  own 
image,  in  righteousness  and  true  holiness,  that  he  might  rightly  know 
God  his  Creator,  heartily  love  him,  and  live  with  him  in  eternal  hap- 
piness to  glorify  and  praise  him. 

Q.  7.   Whence  then  proceeds  this  depravity  of  human  7iature  ? 

A.  From  the  fall  and  disobedience  of  our  first  parents,  Adam  and 
Eve,  in  Paradise  ;  hence  our  nature  is  become  so  corrupt,  that  we 
are  all  conceived  and  born  in  sin. 


H 


APPY  is  the  man  who  knoweth  the  cause  of  things  ;  for  hav- 
ing such  an  insight  into  the  nature  of  matters,  he  hath  a  wonderful 
delight  in  his  contemplations.  It  tends  more  especially  to  render  a 
person  happy,  that  he  knows  the  first  cause  of  good  and  evil ;  since 
he  learns  thus  to  avoid  the  evil,  and  pursue  the  good,  to  praise  the 
first  cause  of  the  good,  and  to  detest  the  evil.  If  I  know  not  the  first 
cause  of  the  good  that  I  enjoy,  I  shall  foolishly  kiss  my  own  hands ; 
and  if  I  understand  not  the  origin  of  the  evil  that  befalls  me,  I  shall 
soon  with  the  wicked  Jews  say,  "  The  Way  of  the  Lord  is  not  equal," 
Ezek.  xxxiii.  17,  20.  The  foul  head  spring  of  all  the  errors,  that 
have  deluged  the  heathen,  Jewish  and  Christian  world  hath  bubbled 
up  only  from  an  ignorance  of  the  true  causes  of  good  and  evil.  Many 
of  the  ancient  heathens  imagined  that  there  were  two  God's,  a  good 
God,  who  was  the  cause  of  all  that  was  good,  and  an  evil  God,  who 
was  tiie  author  of  all  that  ivas  shameful,  hurtful  and  painful ;  and  in 
this  they  were  followed  by  thr  ManicheeS;  otherwise  called  Chris- 


40  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EViL 

tians.     Others  thought  that  the  cause  of  good  and  evil  in  man  was 
the  contrariety  of  his  soul  and  body,  two  principles,  or  parts  of  man, 
which  were  opposed  one  to  another.    The  ancient  and  modern  Pela- 
f  ians  have  adopted  this  opinion,  and  they  say  that  the  soul  is  created 
with  a  free  will,  and  the  body  with  a  certain  carnal  concupisence,  and 
that  the  former  is  the  cause  of  good,  and  the  latter  of  evil;  It  is  also 
natural  to  the  sinner,  through  self  love,  to  excuse  himself,  and  to 
accuse  his  Maker  of  the  evil.  It  is  an  evil  disposition,  which  he  hath 
inherited  of  his  father  Adam,  who  said  to  the  Lord,  "  The  woman, 
whom  tiiou  gavest  to  be  with  me,  she  gave  me  of  the  tree,  and  1  did 
eat,"  Gen.  iii.  !-•    Therefore  if  the  foolish  sinner  shall  become  wise 
and  happy,  he  must  learn  to  ascribe  righteousness  to  his  Maker,  and 
accuse  hunself  to  his  own  shame,  that  he  is  himself  the  cause  of  his 
destruction,  like  Daniel,  who  said,  "  O  Lord,  righteousness  belongeth 
lo  the^,  but  to  us,  confusion  of  faces,"  Dan.  ix.  7.    Indeed  nothing 
is  more  ceViuin,  than  that  God  alone  is  the  author  of  all  happiness, 
and  man  the  author  of  all  his  misery.  Therefore  the  wisest  of  king? 
saith,  tccl.  vii.  29.  "  Lo,  this  only  have  I  found,  that  God  hath  made 
man  upright ;  but  they  have  sought  out  many  inventions." 

It  is  therefore  the  glory,  the  wisdom  and  happiness  of  the  reform- 
ed church,  that  she  teaches  more  than  all  others  who  are  out  of  her 
pale,  that  the  Lord  God  alone  is  the  source  bf  all  good,  and  the  sin- 
ner the  cause  of  ail  his  evil,  that  she  may  thus  humble  miserable 
man  by  the  knowledge  of  his  misery,  which  he  hath  procured  to 
himselfi)  arid  may  induce  him  to  seek  deliverance,  and  a  happy  con- 
solation of  the  Lord.  For  to  this  end  doth  the  i  istructor  show  him 
how  evil  and  perverse  he  is,  in  the  fifth  question  ;  and  that  God  is 
not  the  cause  thereof,  in  the  sixth  question  ;  but  he  himself  through 
his  parents,  in  the  seventh  question. 

There  are  therefore  two  particulars  here,  that  require  our  illus- 
tration. 

I-  That  the  wickedness  of  man  doth  not  proceed  from  God, 
Question  six. 

II.  But  from  man  himself,  Question  seven. 

I.  Ws  have  taught  in  the  loregoing  discourse,  that  "we  are  by 
nature  prone  to  hate  God  and  our  neighbour."  Nearly  all  those  who 
are  out  of  our  church  take  occasion  hence  to  slander  us,  as  though 
-.ve  taught  that  God  was  the  author  of  sin,  and  of  our  wickedness  and 
perversencss,  because  we  receive  our  nature  from  God.  But  we 
protest  against  this  in  the  strongest  terms,  and  say  that  God  neither 
is,  nor  can  be  the  author  of  sin.  We  proclaim  to  the  whole  world 
with  Elihu,  "  Far  be  it  from  God  that  he  iJiould  do  wickedness,  and 


III.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  41 

from  the  Almighty,  that  he  should  commit  iniquity,"  Job  xxxiv.  16. 
Sin  is  more  contrary  to  the  nature  of  God,  than  darkness  to  light, 
and  hell  to  heaven  ;  "  He  is  not  a  God  who  hath  pleasure  in  wicked- 
ness," Psalm  V.  4.  "He  is  of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold  evil,  and  he 
cannot  look  upon  iniquity."  Hab.  i.  13.  "  Let  no  man  say,  when  he 
is  tempted,  I  am  tempted  of  God :  for  God  cannot  be  tempted  with 
evil,  neither  tempteth  he  any  man,"  James  i.  IS.  Neither  can  any 
one  infer  from  our  doctrine  by  a  just  consequence,  that  we  represent 
God  as  the  author  of  our  wickedness  and  perverseness  ;  for  although 
our  nature  is  of  God,  it  v/as  not  created  by  God  so  wicked  ;  for 
«  God  made  man  good  :"  so  our  church  teaches  with  the  catechism 
from  the  word  of  God,  which  saith.  Gen.  i.  31.  "  God  saw  all  that 
he  had  made,  and  behold,  it  was  very  good." 

And  wherein  doth  that  goodness  consist  ?  The  Socinians  say,  in 
the  essence  and  in  the  essential  parts  of  man,  without  any  original 
righteousness,  and  only  in  fiuris  naturalibus^  or  that  man  was  neither 
good  nor  evil,  when  he  v/as  created  :  they  even  maintain  that  man 
•was  created  as  ignorant  as  a  child,  not  knowing  that  he  was  naked. 
And  the  Jesuits  and  Remonstrants  proceed  so  far,  that  they  dare 
maintain  that  thert  v/as  a  certain  carnal  lusting  in  man  immediately 
after  his  creation,  and  that  his  flesh  and  lusts  strove  and  rebelled 
against  his  reason  and  spirit.  If  this  were  so,  man  would  have  come 
out  of  his  Maker's  hands  a  sinful,  ignorant  and  unholy  creature.  And 
this  reproach  ought  therefore  not  to  be  cast  upon  us,  but  upon  our 
adversaries  ;  for  it  will  naturally  follow  from  these  heterodox  asser- 
tions, that  God  made  man  evil  and  perverse.  But  it  will  appear  more 
clearly  anon. 

Wc  teach  better  things  concerning  the  innate  goodness  of  man. 
We  say  that  it  consists  in  a  moral  and  virtuous  goodness  whereby 
man  is  qualified,  as  a  reasonable  creature,  to  glorify  his  Maker  ;  for 
the  goodness  of  evejry  creature  consists  in  its  possessing  such  per- 
fections, as  belong  to  the  nature  of  that  creature,  that  it  may  ex- 
press and  declare,  in  a  manner  agreeable  to  its  nature,  the  glorious 
perfections  of  its  Creator.  Man  being  a  reasonable  creature,  and 
therefore  much  m.cre  excellent  than  other  creatures,  ought  to  glorify 
God  in  a  reasonable  manner,  and  thus  more  than  other  creatures. 
But  how  could  he  glorify  his  Maker  in  a  reasonable  manner,  if  he 
were  created  without  ori^^lnal  righteousness,  in  such  ignorance,  and 
with  a  certain  lusting  against  his  spirit  ?  The  reasonable  creature  can- 
not exist  in  a  state  of  indifference,  or  be  neither  good  nor  evil,  any 
more  than  he  can  be  neither  alive  nor  dead  :  he  must  necessarily  be 
one  or  the  other,  either  good  or  evil :  and  he  cannot  be  good,  unles*^ 

K 


42  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

he  have  a  moral  goodness,  and  be  endued  with  a  pure  apprchensidh 
of  God's  perfections,  and  a  sincere  love  to  God,  so  as  to  know,  lov^, 
enjoy  and  praise  him.  Solomon  saith  also,  '*  that  God  made  mart 
upright,"  and  he  opposes  that  uprightness  to  "  man's  inventions  which 
he  hath  sought  out,"  and  to  his  perverseness,  Eccl.  vii.  29.  And 
therefore  the  instructor  saith,  "  that  God  did  not  create  man  so  wick- 
ed and  perverse,  but  good,  and  thus  alter  his  image." 

The  Lord  God  having  created  the  heaven,  the  earth  and  the  sea, 
with  all  that  in  them  is,  "  did  last  of  all  form  man  out  of  the  dust  of 
the  earth,  and  he  breathed  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life  ;  thus 
man  became  a  living  soul,"  Gen.  ii.  7.  "  But  as  it  was  not  good  that 
man  should  be  alone,  God  made  Adam  an  help  meet  for  him,"  even 
his  wife,  "  out  of  one  of  his  ribs,"  and  brought  her  to  him  for  his 
lawful  wife.  Adam  also  owned,  took,  and  loved  her  as  such,  Gen. 
ii.  18 — 25.  God  gave  them  both  also  the  law  of  marriage,  that  they 
should  cleave  to  one  another,"  Gen.  ii.  3*,  25,  "  and  be  fruitful,  and 
multiply,  and  replenish  the  earth,"  Gen.  i.  28,  and  thus  "  hath  God 
made  of  one  blood  all  the  nations  of  men,  to  dwell  upon  the  face 
of  all  the  earth,"  Acts  xvii.  26,  That  man  might  be  the  chief  orna- 
ment of  all  God's  works,  God  created  him  after  his  image.  There- 
fore the  Father,  acting  after  the  manner  of  men,  excited,  as  it  were, 
tlie  ^on  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  perform  some  great  work  in  the 
creation  of  man,  saying.  Gen.  i.  26.  "  Let  us  make  man  in  our  im- 
age, after  our  likeness.  So  God  created  man  in  his  own  image,  in  the 
image  of  God  created  he  him."  It  is  absurd  in  the  Papists  to  dis- 
tinguish these  two  words  so,  as  if  "  image"  related  to  natural  endow- 
ments, and  likeness  to  graces  and  supernatural  endowments,  as 
though  the  image  of  GoJ  were  not  natural  to  man.  Image  and  like- 
ness denote  the  selfsame  thing,  and  are  joined  together  to  express  it 
with  greater  emphasis  and  force,  and  to  show  that  the  image  was 
exceedingly  like  God,  and  a  likeness  that  expressed  and  depicted 
God  in  man :  one  thing  can  be  like  another,  as  one  cg^  may  be  like 
another,  but  it  is  not  therefore  an  image  of  that  other.  But  an  im- 
age is  sr;niething,  which  is  fashioned  after  something  else,  and  is 
therefore  like  it.  Man  was  then  made  m  the  image  of  God,  because 
God  was  the  pattern  after  which  he  was  made  ;  and  if  I  may  so 
speak,  because  God  depicted  himself  in  man,  and  made  man  like 
himself.  Not  that  God  gave  his  essence  and  life,  as  he  hath  it  in 
himself,  to  man  ;  for  in  this  manner  **  hath  he  given  only  to  his  Son 
to  have  life  in  himself,"  John  \.  26.  The  Son  of  God  alone  is  "  the 
brightness  of  God's  glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person," 
Ileb.  i.  3.     Neither  is  God  a  body  after  which  the  body  of  man  was 


III.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  45 

formed,  as  the  ancient  A.nthropomorphists  imagined  ;  for  «  God  is  a 
spirit,"  John  iv.  24.  But  God  made  man  so  after  his  ima^e,  that  he 
expressed  a  certain  likeness  of  his  communicable  attributes  in  him, 
whereby  he  became  "  a  partaker  of  the  divine  nature,"  2  Peter  i.  4. 
Not  that  God  transferred  his  attributes  to  man,  for  he  would  then 
have  made  him  a  God  :  but  that  man  was  made  after  them,  so  as  to 
possess  a  certain  hkeness  to  them,  and  that  he  obtained  a  certain 
sketch  of  those  divine  perfections. 

We  must  inquire  more  particularly  wherein  that  ima^e  and  Hke- 
ness, in  which  man  was  made,  consists.  The  soul,  the  spirit  of  man, 
which  hath  in  itself  an  ability  to  act  from  itself,  though  in  dependence 
on  God,  with  understanding  and  will,  is  an  image  of  God,  and  ex- 
hibits a  certain  likeness  of  God.  Some  maintain  that  the  image  of 
God  doth  not  consist  in  the  essence  of  the  soul,  but  that  the  soul  is 
only  the  panel,  on  which  the  image  is  expressed :  we  may  assert 
that  the  soul  is  the  panel  ot  the  moral  and  virtuous  goodness  of  man. 
But  that  the  soul  itself  is  not  the  ima8;e  of  God,  but  only  the  panel 
and  subject  of  God's  image,  this  we  do  not  assert,  because  the  nature 
of  the  thing  and  the  word  of  God  forbid  it.  For  the  essence  and  the 
spirituality  of  the  soul  are  matters,  in  which  it  is  like  God,  "who  is 
a  spirit,"  John  iv.  24..  Are  not  the  heathens,  who  are  destitute  of 
the  moral  and  virtuous  goodness  of  God's  image,  still  "  the  offspring 
of  God,"  so  far  as  he  is  a  spirit,  which  cannot  be  expressed  by  an 
image  ?  Acts  xvii.  28,  29.  We  may  "  not  curse,  nor  kill  any  man, 
because  he  is  made  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God,"  Gen.  ix.  6, 
James  iii.  9.  Not  because  he  was  once  made  in  the  image  of  God  ;  but 
because  he  is  still  God's  image  :  for  otherwise  the  reason  why  we 
may  not  kill  or  curse  any  man  ceaseth.  Doth  the  sinner  now  "  come 
short  of"  the  image  and  "  glory  of  God,"  according  to  Pom.  iii.  23, 
it  is  with  respect  to  the  virtuous  goodness,  in  which  he  was  created. 

This  moral  and  virtuous  goodness  is  indeed  the  principal  and 
most  glorious  part  of  God's  image.  It  is  also  called  original  right- 
eousness, and  consists  (1)  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  divine 
things.  We  must  now  "  put  on  the  new  man,  which  is  renewed  in 
knowledge  after  the  image  of  him  that  created  him,"  according  to. 
Paul,  Cell.  iii.  10.  He  hath  certainly  respect  to  the  image  in  which 
man  v/as  created  in  the  beginning  :  he  saith  that  it  consisted  in  knowl- 
edge :  he  supposeth  that  this  knowledge  is  obscured,  and  that  the 
image  of  God  is  now  become  old,  and  that  we  must  be  again  renew- 
ed after  that  same  image.  The  first  man  was  therefore  not  so  sim- 
ple and  ignorant :  for  we  must  be  renewed  in  knowledge  after  the 
image  of  that  man  :  if  ke  had  been  created  in  a  childish  ingorance, 


44.  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

he  would  have  been  ridiculously  foolish  ;  for  a  full  grown  man,  as 
Adam  was  when  he  came  out  of  his  Maker's  hands,  who  is  childish, 
IS  contemptible  :  surely  ^*  the  soul  without  knowledge  is  not  good," 
Prov.  xix.  2.  If  Adam  were  created  in  such  ingorance,  how  did  he 
know  the  nature  of  the  animals,  and  of  his  wife  ?  Gen.  ii.  19 — 23. 
He  certainly  knew  Cod,  he  was  accustomed  to  his  visits,  Gen.  iii.  8, 
and  was  acquainted  with  his  law,  Gen.  ii.  16,  17.  iii.  2,  5,  surely  not 
only  by  divine  revelation,  but  also  by  creation  ;  for  if  that  law  be 
still  written  in  the  hearts  of  his  posterity  ;  accordiug  to  Rom.  ii.  14, 
15,  how  much  more  was  it  then  written  in  his  heart,  when  he  came 
new  and  pure  out  of  the  hands  of  his  Maker.  After  the  fall,  his  eyes 
"Were  indeed  opened,  and  he  knew  that  he  was  naked,"  Gen.  iii.  7, 
but  this  doth  not  imply  that  he  knew  not  before  that  he  was  without 
any  clotliing ;  for  otherwise  sin  would  have  made  him  wiser,  and  the 
lying  promises  of  Satan,  "  that  his  eyes  should  be  opened,  and  that 
he  should  like  God  know  both  good  and  evil,"  Gen.  iii.  5.  would  not 
then  have  been  detestable.  It  remains  therefore  certain  that  Adam 
knew  God,  and  his  obligation  to  him,  by  the  image  of  God,  by  which 
he  knew,  as  by  a  beam  from  God's  own  light,  what  God  knew,  and 
what  he  would  reveal  to  him.  For  the  knov/ledge  that  depicts  God, 
IS  not  barely  a  common  and  literal  apprehension  of  divine  things,  but 
"  a  seeing  of  the  light  in  God's  light,"  Psalm  xxxvi.  9,  and  "  an  in= 
shining  of  God  into  the  heart,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of 
the  glory  of  God,"  2  Cor.  iv.  6,  Now  such  a  knowledge  and  seeing 
of  God  must  necessarily  produce  a  divine  holinsss  in  the  soul ;  for 
"  we,  beholding  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same 
image  from  glory  to  glory,"  2  Cor.  iii.  13.  And  therefore  the  moral 
goodness  of  God's  image  consists  also  (2)  "  in  true  righteousness 
and  holiness,"  by  vrhich  man  surrendered  himself  with  a  perfect 
heart  to  the  Lord,  to  do  his  will,  according  to  that  la^7  and  truth  of 
God,  which  his  understanding  represented  to  him  to  be  holy,  just 
and  good.  That  the  image  of  God  consisted  in  this  also,  the  apostle 
teacheth  us  when  he  saith,  Fph.  iv.  24.  "  And  put  on  the  new  man* 
which  after  God  is  created  in  true  righteousness,  and  holiness."  So 
our  translators  render  the  Greek  words,  according  to  the  usual  style 
of  the  scriptures  :  but  others,  ibllov/ing  mofe  the  order  of  the  Greek 
words  read,  "  in  righteousness  and  holiness  of  truth."  The  sense  is 
the  same  :  righteousness  and  holiness  are  two  words,  which  design 
one  and  the  same  thing,  but  with  great  beauty,  and  with  a  strong 
emphasis,  as  if  wc  should  say,  a  righteous  holiness,  and  a  holy  right- 
eousness. But  if  we  will  distinguish  the  words,  and  consider  each  as 
t»ignifying  something  different  from  the  other,  we  must  then  refe? 


III.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  45 

righteousness,  not  to  a  right  to  demand  life,  inasmuch  as  Adam  had 
not  that  right,  and  it  moreover  doth  not  now  flow  from  the  image  of 
God,  but  from  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ ;  but  we  must  re- 
fer the  righteousness  of  the  image  of  God  to  our  neighbour,  and  the 
holiness  to  God :  and  so  these  two  words  express  the  whole  sum  of 
the  law,  which  was  innate  to  man  with  the  image  of  God. 

Man  being  endowed  with  such  a  rational  and  virtuous  soul,  was 
also  created  lord  of  all  the  creatures,  that  he  might  govern  and  make 
use  of  them,  as  the  vicegerent  of  God,  under  him,  and  to  his  ser- 
vice :  "  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness,  and  let 
them  have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,"  &c.  saith  the  Lordj 
Gen.  i.  26,  29.  The  Socinians,  who  will  not  allow  that  man  had  any 
original  righteousness  before  the  fall,  and  are  nevertheless  forced  to 
believe  that  nian  was  created  after  the  image  of  God,  say  that  the 
image  of  God  consisted  only  in  dominion.  But  how  could  man  gov- 
ern the  creatures  according  to  the  will  of  God,  if  he  had  no  virtuous 
goodness  ?  The  creature  would  have  groaned  against  him,  as  it  doth 
now  against  its  sinful  and  rigorous  lord,  Rom.  viii.  19 — 22.  That 
the  image  of  God  consists  nevertheless  partly  in  dominion,  and  that 
this  dominion  is  not  only  a  consequence  of  the  image,  this  Paul 
teacheth  us,  when  he  saith  that  "  the  man,"  on  account  of  his  domin- 
ion over  the  woman,  "  is  the  image  and  glory  of  God  ;"  and  that 
"the  woman,  on  account  of  her  dominion  under  and  by  reason  of  the 
man,  "  is  the  glory  of  the  man,"  1  Cor.  xi.  7.  Inasmuch  as  this 
excellency  of  the  soul  presently  extended  itself  to  the  body,  and  the 
image  of  God  pertaineth  to  the  whole  man,  therefore  man  was  im- 
mortal, not  only  according  to  the  soul,  but  also  according  to  the  body, 
which  being  created  of  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and  consisting  of  flesh 
and  blood,  could  die  ;  but  would,  through  the  sustaining  power  of 
God,  have  continued  alive  for  ever,  if  man  had  not  sinned.  For  how 
could  such  a  destructive  and  horrible  evil  as  death  is  befall  man, 
while  he  was  not  guilty  of  any  iniquity  ?  Death  was  threatened  only 
in  consequence  of  sin,  Gen.  i.  17,  and  '^  the  wages  of  sin  is  death," 
Rom,  vi.  23.  God  did  not,  moreover,  pronounce  the  sentence  of 
death  upon  Adam,  until  he  had  sinned.  Gen.  iii.  13.  That  the  image 
of  God  consists  in  immortality,  this  Paul  saith,  1  Cor.  xv.  49,  where 
he  teaches  that  when  we  shall  receive  our  immortality  again,  "  we 
shall  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly." 

The  image  of  God,  in  which  man  was  created,  had  its  ends,  and 
served  (1)  "  That  man  might  rightly  know  his  Creator."  For  to  this 
end  was  his  understanding  filled  with  such  a  clear  light,  that  he 
might  behold  God  in  his  glory  and  lovelin&ss:  (2)  «  That  he  might 


46  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

love  him  heartily."  For  God's  law  of  love  was  innate  to  him  with 
the  imaijje  of  God  through  that  righteousness  and  holiness.  Wheia 
he  pursued  this  through  the  image  of  God,  it  served  also,  that  he. 
might  (3)  *'  live  with  God  in  eternal  happiness."  For  when  he  knew 
and  loved  God  so,  the  Lord  could  not  but  manifest  his  pleasure  in 
him  by  a  reciprocal  love,  and  this  would  render  him  happy.  By 
such  a  conduct,  so  worthy  of  God,  he  fulfilled  the  law  of  the  cove- 
nant, which  promised  him  eternal  happiness  ;  for  wliich  end  he  had 
also  the  tree  of  life,  in  order  to  seal  that  happy  life  to  him  by  a  sac- 
rament, Gen.  ii.  9.  But  the  chief  end  of  the  divine  image  was,  (4) 
"  that  he  might  glorify  and  praise  God  ;"  for  since  he  knew  that  God 
was  the  most  worthy,  and  since  he  loved  and  enjoyed  him  as  such, 
he  could  not  but  exait  him  in  the  highest  degree. 

The  Remonstrants  imagine,  that   these   things   could  not  be  the 
ends  of  God's  image,  no,  not  according  to  our  opinion,  because  God 
would  then  have  failed  of  his  end  by  the  fall  of  Adam,   and  of  all 
mankind  in  him,  and  because  we  teach  that  God  created  the  great- 
est part  of  ma!;ikind  to  be  damned  ;  but  this  is  a  horrible  calumny  : 
v/e  do  not  teach  that  God  created  man  to  be  damned,  as  if  the  crea- 
tion of  man  were  a  cause  of  his  damnation  :  sin  alone  is  the  caus^  o$ 
his   damnation,   on   account  of  which  God  punishcth  him,  as  he 
threatened  according  to  his  eternal  decree,  in  which  he  purposed  to. 
pass  by  certain  persons  with   his  grace,  and  to  punish  them  justly  : 
but  besides  this,  we  say,  that  when  God  created  man  in  his  image, 
he  did  not  intend  to  effect  that  all  men  should  live  with  him  in  eter- 
nal happiness :  for  this  would  then  undoubtedly  be  accomplished  ; 
since  he  always  obtains  his   end  by  his  almighty  power,  on   account 
of  the  unchangeableness  of  his  counsel :  for  "  he  w^orketh  all  things 
after  the  counsel  of  his  own  will,  "  Eph.  i.  1 1.  We  must  also  distin- 
guish between  the  end  of  the  worker  and  of  the  work.     The  end  of 
God's  work,  to  wit,  the  creation  of  man  in  his  image,  was  indeed, 
that  he  might,  by  knowing  and  loving  God,  live  with  him  in  eternal 
happiness  :  for  the   image  of  God  qualified  him  for  this  end,  and 
urged  him  to  pursue  it :  but  this  was  not  the  end  of  the   V/orker, 
even  of  God  :  for  he  intended  to  render  the   glory  of  his  justice, 
mercy  and  grace,  wonderful  in  fallen  men,   and  for  this  end  he  suf- 
fered them  to  fall.  See  Rom,  xi.  32,     And   God  hath  also  obtained 
this  end. 

The  Jesuites  aesert  that  this  image  was  a  supernatural  gift,  be- 
stowed upon  man  in  order  to  restrain  the  furious  lusts  of  the  flesh, 
as  it  were,  with  a  golden  bridle  :  and  therefore  that  man,  having  lost 
that  image,  is  now  indeed  without  that  supernatural  gift ;  but  that 


ill.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  47 

liis  nature  is  not  therefore  so  corrupt,  as  we  teach.  In  opposition  to 
Hvhich  we  say,  that  the  ima^e  of  God,  and  particularly  that  virtuous 
goodness,  or  original  righteousness,  iid  not  constitute  any  essential 
part  of  man,  by  which  he  \'  as  made  man,  as  his  soul  and  body  do  ; 
but  it  is  evident  that  this  righteousness,  and  permit  me  to  say  in  a 
good  sense,  supernatural  grace  was  nevertheless  natural  to  man,  that 
is,  his  nature  could  not  have  been  good,  if  he  had  not  been  created 
in  the  image  of  God.  For  (a)  the  image  of  God  was  innate  to  man 
with  his  nature.  Gen.  i.  26,  37.  (b)  His  nature  would  not  otherwise 
have  been  created  good,  since  a  man  without  knowledge,  righteous- 
ness and  holiness  is  sinful  and  hateful  to  God.  See  this  Eph.  iv.  18. 
(c)  Man  could  not  then  have  pursued  nor  obtained  the  end  of  his 
creation  ;  lor  how  can  he,  who  is  naturally  without  knowledge,  and 
filled  with  fleshly  lusts,  warring  against  his  spirit,  know,  love  and 
praise  God  aright  ?  (d)  Adam,  though  fallen,  hath  transmitted  the 
remains  of  God's  image  with  his  nature,  to  his  posterity  ;  for  "  the 
Gentiles  do  by  nature  the  things  contained  in  the  law,"  Rom.  ii.  14, 
15.  How  much  more  would  he  then,  if  he  had  continued  to  stand, 
have  transmitted  the  divine  image  itself  to  his  seed  ?  but  this  would 
mot  have  been  possible,  if  the  image  of  God  had  not  been  natural  to 
him.  What  our  adversaries  object  here,  that  man  could  not  then 
have  fallen,  is  of  no  force,  because  Adam,  although  naturally  good, 
Vas  nevertheless  created  changeable,  and  was  capable  of  being  seduc- 
edi  Were  not  the  angels  created  naturally  good  and  holy  ?  and  some 
of  them  nevertheless  fell. 

How  dare  our  adversaries  then  reproach  us  in  such  a  shameless 
manner,  and  say  that  we  teach  that  man  was  created  by  God  so 
wicked  and  perverse  ?  They  give  us  reason  to  suspect  them  of  such 
a  wicked  opinion.  For  if  man  were  created  so  ignorant,  and  with  a 
certain  evil  lusting,  then  God  created  him  wicked  and  perverse,  in- 
asmuch as  ignorance,  and  lusting  after  evil  is  wicked  and  perverse. 
They  will  doubtless  allow  that  man  fell  through  his  natural  inclina- 
tions to  evil,  (admitting  that  these  inclinations  were  not  sinful  in 
themselves.)  Ought  not  man  then  to  be  excused,  since  he  only  fol- 
lowed his  natural  and  innate  inclination  ?  yea,  ought  not  God  to  be 
accused,  since  he  created  man  with  such  an  inclination,  and  no 
better  ?  but  our  adversaries  have  need  of  such  cloaks  of  shame,  if 
they  will  defend  with  any  plausibility  their  un violated  reason,  and 
indifferent  freewill. 

Is  man  nevertheless  so  wicked  and  perverse,  and  did  not  God 
Create  him  so,  but  good  and  in  his  image,  '*  whence  then  pro- 
ceeds this*  depravity  •f  human  nature  ?"  We  ought  to  know  this,  it 


48  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL 

concerns  us,  that  knowing  the  ground  of  our  disease,  we  may  seek 
in  a  right  manj^tr  to  be  healed.  The  wisest  of  kings  had  found  that 
"  man  himself  had  songlit  out  many  inventions,"  Eccl.  vii.  29.  And 
the  instructor,  escplaining  this  more  particularly  from  the  word  of 
God,  leads  us  to  "  the  fall  of  our  first  parents,  whereby  our  nature 
is  become  so  corrupt." 

If  we  will  form  proper  conceptions  of  our  corruption  through  the 
fall  of  Adam,  we  must  know  that  God  entered  into  a  covenant  of 
works  with  Adam,  and  that  Adam  was  able  to  keep  the  covenant. 
We  have  shown  before  on  the  second  Lord's  Day  the  nature  and 
reality  of  this  covenant.  We  must  now  see  that  he  could  keep  the  cove= 
nant.  For  God  would  not  otherwise  have  made  a  covenant  with  him, 
it  would  indeed  have  been  to  no  purpose.  Adam's  understanding 
and  will  being  endued  with  original  righteousness,  he  was  able  to  know 
and  love  God  perfectly,  and  thus  to  fulfil  the  condition  of  the  cove- 
nant. He  needed  without  doubt,  God's  preventing  influence :  but 
we  may  nevertheless  say,  that  he  had  an  ability  to  continue  in  the 
covenant,  on  account  of  his  habitual  virtuDusness,  in  consequence  of 
his  having  been  created  in  the  image  of  God,  as  a  man  in  health 
hath  an  abilicy  to  do  his  daily  work,  although  he  needeth  the  ordinary 
influence  of  God  for  that  also,  according  to  Acts  xvii.  28.  P'or  that 
God  created  man  independent  in  his  actions,  so  that,  when  left  to 
himself,  he  could  do  his  duty  without  the  preventing  influence  of 
God,  is  a  most  absurd  imagination  ;  for  man  would  then  have  been 
made  a  God,  who  could  govern  himself,  of  and  by  himself. 

We  must  also  know  that  Adam  and  Eve,  the  first  human  couple, 
were  our  parents,  of  whom  God  hath  made  the  whole  race  of  men, 
as  we  have  shown  before.  Now  when  God  entered  into  a  covenant 
with  Adam,  he  established  it  with  Tve  also,  yet  so  that  she  was  reck- 
oned in  her  husband.  And  therefore  the  misery  of  their  posterity  is 
generally  referred  more  to  Adam  than  to  Eve.  But  God  did  not 
enter  into  a  covenant  with  Adam,  as  a  private  person,  who  should 
stand  or  fall  only  for  himself,  but  also  as  the  father,  and  as  the  head 
of  all  mankind,  who  should  descend  from  him,  and  for  whom  he 
should  stand  and  fall :  as  kings  and  princes  enter  into  covenants  with 
one  another,  not  only  for  themselves,  but  also  for  their  children  and 
subjects,  who  exist  now,  and  will  exist  hereafter.  And  in  this  man- 
ner did  God  establish  the  covenant  of  works  with  Adam,  and  in  him, 
as  the  head,  with  the  whole  human  race.  For  the  appendix  of  the 
;;ovenant  of  works,  to  wit,  the  law  of  marriage.  Gen.  i.  28.  ii.  24, 
25,  was  e:iven  to  Adam,  and  in  him  to  all  his  posterity.  See  this 
Matt.  xix.  3,  4,  5,  6»  Eph.  v.  31.     All  Adam's  posterity  were  crea- 


III.  LORD  S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  49 

ttd  in  him  after  the  image  of  God,  as  the  remains  of  that  image  in 
the  Gentiles  still  manifest,  Rom.,  ii.  14,  15.  Paul  requireth,  Rom. 
V.  14 — 19,  that  we  should  consider  ('hrist  as  the  head  of  believers  in 
the  covenant  of  grace,  after  the  example  of  Adam  :  but  how  shall 
we  understand  this,  unless  Adam  be  also  the  head  of  his  posterity  in 
the  covenant  of  works. 

But  although  Adam  possessed  such  a  glory  and  excellency,  he 
nevertheless  fell  into  a  deep  abyss  of  horrible  misery  through  Lis  diso- 
bedience, by  which,  contrary  to  the  command  of  God,  enforced  with 
the  promise  of  life,  and  the  threatening  of  death,  he  ate  of  the  tree 
cf  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  by  which  he  also  broke  the  covenant, 
as  the  Lord  saith,  Hosea  vi.  7  :  for  that  tree  was  prohibited  to  him, 
as  a  trial  of  his  obedience. 

But  how  could  these  exceedingly  wise  and  holy  persons,  who  had 
such  an  ability,  be  guilty  of  such  a  base  conduct.  The  serpent  be- 
guiled Eve  through  his  suhtilty,  saith  Paul,  2  Cor.  xi.  3.  from  Gen. 
iii.  1 — 6.  "  The  serpent  was  more  subtil  than  any  beast  of  the  field," 
saith  Moses,  Gen.  iii.  1.  But  although  he  were  ever  so  subtil,  and 
more  so  than  any  beast  of  the  field,  he  could  nevertheless  not  per- 
form such  an  evil  and  subtil  work  of  himself,  for  he  was  irrational 
and  speechless :  but  the  devil  having  apostatized  from  God,  and 
l^emg  subjected  by  him  to  eternal  punishment,  without  any  hope  of 
mercy,  inflamed  with  hatred  against  Ciod,  and  envy  against  the  hap- 
py man,  and  with  an  ambitious  desire  to  rule  over  him,  made  use 
of,  and  possessed  this  beast  for  that  purpose,  and  so  enticed  man  by 
means  of  it.  For  "  the  devil  was  a  murderer  of  man  from  the  be- 
ginning," John  viii.  44,  and  he  is  on  this  account  himself  called  "  the 
great  dragon,  and  the  old  serpent,"  Rev.  xii.  9.  It  is  therefore  de- 
testable in  a  certain  person  *  to  say  that  the  devil  was  the  first  author 
of  sin,  according  to  the  declaration  of  scripture,  and  nevertheless  to 
teach  that  neither  the  serpent,  nor  the  devil  could  deceive  man,  and 
thus  to  deride  the  whole  account  of  Moses.  Perhaps  he  could  not 
speak  otherwise,  after  he  had  once  determined  that  the  essence  of  a 
spirit  was  simply  thought,  and  that  it  hath  no  power  at  all  to  act 
upon  that  which  is  bodily. 

•  The  author  hath  respect  here  to  Dr.  Balihazer  Becker,  a  pastor  of  the  re- 
f«rm«d  church  of  Amsterdam.  He  was  a  great  admirer  of  the  Cartesian  phi- 
Josophy,  and  was  so  far  nrisled  by  it,  as  to  deny  all  the  accounts,  which  the 
scripture  p;ives  of  the  power  of  the  devil,  and  evil  spirits:  as  also  the  exis- 
tence of  ghosts  and  wjzards.  He  published  these  sentiments  in  a  book,  which 
he  intitled.  The  world  bewitched.  He  was  deposed  from  his  pastoral  offisf 
-90  accouat  of  these  opinions ;  but  persevered  in  them  until  hia  deaths 

L 


50  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

The  devil  belni^  exceedingly  subtil,  and  abusing  also  the  subtil 
nature  of  the  serpent,  conducted  his  temptation  in  a  most  subtil  man- 
ner. For  (I)  it  was  subtil  in  him,  that  he  did  not  tempt  man  from 
'vithin,  by  acting  upon  his  imap,ination,  with  wicked  injections :  for 
he  would  then  have  met  with  an  immediate  repuls-i :  there  were  no 
traitors  as  yet  in  the  mind  of  man,  with  whom  he  could  correspond 
and  conspire  to  destroy  him.  But  he  attacked  man  from  without, 
that  he  mig;ht  penetrate  into  his  soul  by  means  of  his  sight  and  hear- 
ing, and  etfect  a  total  confusion  there.  (2)  He  appears  not  to  man 
in  a  terrifying  form,  but  conceals  his  hideousness  under  the  serpent^ 
which  was  not  a  disagreeable  object  to  upright  man  ;  by  which  he 
might  induce  him  to  think  that  he  was  favoured  with  a  message 
from  God  by  an  angel  of  light  through  the  means  of  this  serpent,  in 
an  extraordinary  manner ;  for  the  wise  man  knew  that  the  serpent 
v/as  not  endued  with  reason,  and  that  he  had  not  a  man's  voice.  (S) 
He  doth  not  tempt  him  in  opposition  to  any  command  of  the  moral 
law  of  love,  which  was  written  upon  his  heart ;  for  he  knew  very  well 
that  his  soul  would  be  immediately  seized  with  horror,  and  would 
forthwith  resist  such  an  attack  ;  but  he  assails  him  with  the  positive 
and  probationary  command,  that  he  should  not  eat  of  the  tree  of 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  because  man  might  be  more  easily 
brought  to  this,  since  there  was  neither  good  nor  evil  in  eating  or 
not  eating  of  that  tree,  considered  in  itself  and  without  respect  to  the 
divine  prohibition.  (4)  It  ^yas  also  exceedingly  crafty  in  the  devil, 
that  he  did  not  attack  the  man  first,  but  the  woman,  who  was  the 
weakest,  and  that  wnen  she  was  in  her  weakest  condition  and  alone, 
that  he  might  by  her  seduce  the  man  (5)  He  doth  not  tempt  her  to 
sin  forthwith,  and  like  an  open  enemy  ;  fer  he  would  then  have  been 
soon  resisted ;  but  he  tempts  in  a  very  gradual  manner,  and  with 
subtil  reasons,  that  he  may  conceal  his  deceit.  He  doth  it  (a)  by 
asking  a  question  .  "  Yea,  hath  God  said,  Ye  shall  not  eat  of  every 
tree  of  the  garden  ?"  He  speaks  not  of  the  tree  of  knowledge,  but  of 
every  tree  of  the  garden,  in  general :  he  feigns  as  though  he  were 
a  stranger  who  knew  of  nothing  ;  and  that  he  may  not  create  suspi- 
cion, he  asks  as  one  who  was  ignorant,  and  wished  for  information, 
that  he  may  thus  obtain  an  opportunity  of  entering  into  a  discourse 
with  her,  and  of  causing  her  to  stagger,  and  doubt  whether  God, 
when  he  permitted  her  to  eat  of  every  tree,  forbade  her  to  cat  just  of 
that  one  tree.  He  olfers  to  her  for  consideration  hereby,  whether 
she  had  not  misunderstood,  or  whether  she  rightly  remembered  the 
Olds  of  God.  (b)  The  woman  not  thinking  that  it  was  her  enemy, 


III.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  51 

who  was  before  her,  enters  into  a  discourse  with  him,  and  declares 
lo  him  how  kindly  God  had  permitted  them  to  eat  of  every  tree,  but 
that  he  had  forbidden  them  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  kno\vledtj;e,  and  had 
threatened  them  with  deaih  in  the  severest  terms,  if  they  did  eat- 
The  subtil  serpent,  the  father  of  lies,  that  he  may  rid  her  of  the  fear 
of  the  danger,  which  attended  her  eatinp:  of  the  forbidden  tree,  de- 
fies the  threatening   and  saith,  "  Ye  shall  not  surely  die,"  and  per- 
haps he  feigns  as  though  he  were  a  good  angel,  who  was  sent  by 
God  to   inform  her  that  her  time  of  probation  was  at  an  end,  that 
God  had  therefore  revoked  that  command  and  his  threatening,  and 
that  she  had  consequently  no  reason  to  fear  death,  inasmuch  as  God 
did  now  freely  permit  them  to  eat  of  that  tree,  as  well  as  of  the  rest, 
(c)  But  God  had  nevertheless  forbidden  them  to  eat  of  that  tree,  and 
those  holy  persons  did  not  wish  to  act  contrary  to  the  divine  prohi- 
bition,  although  it  were  not  dangerous ;  and  why  then  should  they 
eat  of  the  tree  ?  was  there  no  danger  in  eating,  there  was  no  advan- 
tage neither.     Therefore  the   subtil  deceiver  saith,  that  they  should 
derive  a  great  advantage  from  eating  :  "  In  the  day  ye   eat  thereof, 
your  eyes  shall  be  opened,  and  ye  shall  be  as  Gods,  knowing  good 
and  evil."   He  endeavours  to  persuade  them  that  they  were  yet  very 
simple  pe'^sons,  who  knew  but  little  ;  but  that  by  eating  of  that  tree 
they  should  attain  to  a   great,  yea,  to  a  godlike  knowledge,  which 
was  exceedingly  desirable  for  man  :  yea,  he  endeavours  to  insinu- 
ate to  the  woman  that  the  tree  was  on  this  account  called  the  tree  of 
knowledge*  And  that  she  may  believe  him,  and  eat  of  the  fruit  with- 
out scruple,  he  swears,  and  appeals  to  the  allknowingness  of  God,  to 
satisfy  her,  "  God  doth  know"  saith  he. 

The  woman  huving  entered  into  such  a  discourse  with  her  enemy, 
listened  attentively  to  his  false  sophistry,  doubted  whether  God  had 
so  strictly  forbidden  her  to  eat,  or  whether  she  had  rightly  under- 
stood him,  believed  the  devil,  dismissed  her  fear  of  death,  coveted 
the  good  which  he  had  falsely  promised  her,  and  stirred  up  her  de- 
sire by  "  seeing  that  the  tree  was  good  for  food,  and  pleasant  to  the 
eye,  and  desirable  to  make  one  wise  :  and  she  took  of  the  fruit,  and 
ate,  :md  gave  also  to  her  husbaad  with  her,  and  he  did  eat."  Thus 
the  woman  was  deceived  by  the  devil,  and  she,  perhaps  solicited  by 
the  devil,  deceives  her  husband :  in  what  manner  Moses  relates 
not  :  but  we  may  reasonably  suppose  that  she  proposed  the 
arguments  of  the  serpent  to  him  with  a  womanly  and  sweet  voice, 
by  which  Adam  suffered  himself  to  be  enticed,  and  thus  imitated 
the  sin  of  his  wife.  Therefore  when  it  is  said,  I  Tim.  ii.  14,  "  Adam 
was  not  deceived  ;  but  the  woman  being  deceived  was  in  the  trans- 


H2  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

gression,"  v^e  must  understand  it  so  that  he  was  not  deceived  firsts 
nor  immediately  by  the  devil,  but  by  the  woman. 

We  cannot  believe  that  our  parents  fell  on  the  same  day,  on  which 
they  were  created.  For  the  many  events  which  happened  on  that 
day  left  no  time  for  the  fall,  which  is  related  briefly,  but  happened 
more  circumstantially  ;  since  on  that  day  the  beasts  of  the  field  were 
created,  Adam  was  made,  Eve  formed  of  one  of  his  ribs,  while 
Adam  was  in  a  deep  sleep,  marriage,  and  the  law  of  marriage  insti- 
tuted, and  the  covenant  of  works  established.  Besides  this,  God 
pronounced  all  things  good  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  day,  Gen.  i.  31, 
Add  to  this,  that  "  God  rested  on  the  seventh  day  from  all  his  works, 
and  was  refreshed,"  Exod.  xxxi.  17,  which  God  would  not  have  done, 
if  man  had  fallen  en  the  sixth  day,  for"tht.t  grieved  him  at  his 
heart,"  Gen  vi.  6.  It  is  also  improbable  that  man  continued  not  a 
certain  space  of  time,  and  at  least  not  a  few  days  or  weeks  in  his 
happy  state,  that  he  might  employ  himself  in  contemplating  God, 
loving  him,  and  delighting  himself  in  glorifying  him.  He  was  un- 
doubtedly accustomed  to  God's  drawing  near  to  him,  since  he  knew 
it  by  "  the  cool  "  or  wind  '*  of  the  day."  Gen.  iii.  8. 

Let  none  of  us  think  that  our  first  parents  were  guilty  of  a  small 
sin  in  eating  of  the  forbidden  tree  ;  for  it  was  an  exceedingly  great 
and  dreadful  sin.  Paul  calls  it  "  a  sin,  transgression,  offence,  disobe- 
dience," Rom.  v.  They  transgressed  by  this  sin  the  whole  law  of 
love,  loving  the  creature  more  than  the  Creator :  they  broke  God's 
covenant  of  friendship  :  they  despised  his  threatening  of  death,  and 
contemned  the  promised  life  :  they  believed  the  devil  more  than  their 
gracious  Creator  :  they  refused  the  blessed  enjoyment  of  God,  and 
sought  their  pleasure  in  the  forbidden  creature  :  they  fell  from  God 
to  his  malicious  enemy,  the  devil ;  yea,  they  wished  to  be  Gods, 
and  like  God,  for  which  they  arc  derided,  Gen.  iii.  22,  and  that  at 
the  suggestion  of  the  wicked  spirit,  who  hid  himself  in  a  beast.  All 
this  was  so  much  the  more  aggravated,  because  God  had  created 
them  exceedingly  glorious,  and  had  given  them  a  noble,  wise  and 
holy  soul,  which  could  govern  all  the  other  creatures  ;  they  were 
able  to  abstain  from  the  forbidden  tree,  the  command  was  not  diffi- 
cult to  observe,  nothing  compelled  them  to  eat  of  it,  they  had  all 
things  richly  in  the  garden  to  enjoy.  But  that  which  causes  this  sin 
to  appear  still  more  detestable,  is  the  misery  which  they  procured 
by  it,  not  only  to  themselves,  but  also  to  all  their  posterity^ 

But  although  this  sin  was  so  detestable,  it  did  nevertheless  not 
happen  without  the  providence  of  Ciod.  If  "  even  a  sparrow  fall  not 
to  the  ground  without  the  will  of  God,"  how  much  less  then  could 
^Xjan,  who  was  created  perfect,  and  all  mankind  fall  inlo  such  a  gricv^ 


ni.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  53 

ous  sin  and  misery  ?  God  did  not  compel  man  to  sin,  nor  move  him 
to  it,  yea,  he  did  not  deprive  him  of  his  natural  abilities,  and  habitual 
powers :  but  it  is  certain  that  God  decreed  to  permit  his  fall.  How 
could  the  Mediator  otherwise  have  been  *'  foreordained,  and  slain 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world,"  I  Peter  i.  20.  Rev.  xiii.  8.  Further, 
we  cannot  doubt  but  that  God  suffered  the  devil  to  tempt  him  ;  for 
even  "  the  Spirit  of  God  led  Jesus  into  the  wilderness,  that  he  might 
be  tempted  by  the  devil,"  Matt.  iv.  1.  We  must  also  allow  that  God 
did  not  powerfully  influence  man,  to  preserve  him  from  falling,  but 
that  he  left  him  to  himself;  for  he  should  otherv/ise  not  have  fallen  : 
God  was  also  not  obliged  to  bestow  such  a  powerful  influence  upon 
man.  It  is  true,  man  fell  necessarily,  but  not  by  a  necessity  of  com- 
pulsion, but  of  consequence  :  since  neither  the  decree  of  God,  nor 
his  permission  of  Satan,  nor  his  withholding  of  his  active  influence- 
either  moved  or  compelled  him  inwardly  ;  but  he  fell  by  himself, 
and  by  his  own  free  choice,  and  by  seeking  out  many  inventions. 
We  know  that  many  inexplicable  difficulties  occur  here  :  but  we  also 
know  that  not  only  the  word  of  God,  but  reason  also  teacheth  us 
that  God  is  an  independent  sovereign,  that  nothing  happens  without 
his  will,  that  man  depends  upon  God  in  all  that  he  doth,  and  that 
there  cannot  be  any  religion  that  doth  not  contain  unsearchable 
mysteries,  and  that  if  we  exempt  this  fall  from  the  providence  and 
government  of  God,  we  will  deprive  him  of  his  sovereign  jurisdic- 
tion, and  introduce  the  fortune  of  the  Epicureans,  or  the  fate  of  the 
Stoics. 

The  Lord  also  remembered  this  sin,  by  punishing  it  severely  :  not 
only  the  devil  was  cursed  in  his  instrument ;  but  our  first  parents 
also  were  punished  with  death,  accordmg  to  the  divine  threatening, 
Gen.  ii.  17.  "  In  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt  surely 
die."  There  is  no  reason  why  we  should  not  understand  death  here 
in  its  greatest  extent,  of  temporal,  spiritual  and  eternal  death  :  they 
did  not  indeed  die  temporally  on  the  day  on  which  they  sinned :  but 
the  Lord  may,  consistently  with  his  justice  and  truth,  moderate  and 
defer  punishment :  the  sentence  of  death  was  pronounced  upon  them 
that  same  day  :  yea,  on  that  very  day  they  began  to  die  by  all  the 
evil  occurences,  which  were  presently  denounced  and  inflicted  upon 
them.  Gen.  iii.  16—24.  They  died  also  spiritually  ;  for  they  were 
instantly  deprived  of  the  image  of  God,  "  their  understanding  was 
darkened,  and  they  were  alienated  from  the  life  of  God."  B'ph.  iv. 
18.  This  soon  appeared,  since  they  knew  not  that  God  was  allknow- 
ing  and  every  where  present,  when  "  they  thought  to  hide  themselves 
ft'om  him  among  the  trees  of  the  garden,  and  Adam  covered  his 


54  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

transgression,   and  hid  his  iniquity  in  his  bosom,"  Jcb  xxxi.  53.  The 
man  excused  himself,  and  blamed  hi?  ^vife,  who  had  deceived  him, 
yea,  blamed  God,  who   had  given  him  such  a  deceiving  wife  :  and 
the  woman  shifted  the  blame  from  herself  upon  the  serpent ;  Gen. 
iii.  12,    13.     Let  us  not  ask  here,  how  a  single  action  could  do  all 
this,  since  a  wise  man  doth  not  lose  all  his  wisdom  by  one  foolish 
action  :  for  this  sin  of  Adam  was  a  bond  of  iniquity,  which  disorder- 
ed the  whole  human  constitution.  They  deserved  by  this  one  sin  to  be 
deprived  of  the  divine  image,  since  they  did  not  make  a  good  use  of 
it.  When  man  withdrew  from  his  obedience  to  his  Creator  and  Law- 
giver, and  apostatized  to  the  creature,  to  sin  and  Satan,  he  was  then 
justly  condemned  to  become  a  slave   of  the  creature  and  of  Satan. 
''  For  of  whom  a  man  is  overcome,  of  the  same  is  he  brought  in  bon- 
dage," 2  Peter  ii.  19.     Our  first  parents  undoudtedly  deserved  eter« 
nal  death  :  and  they  soon  experienced  the  bitter  beginnings  of  it ; 
*^  they  hid  themselves  for  fear  of  the  Lord  among  the  trees  of  the 
garden,"  Gen.  iii.  8,  9,    10.  They  endeavoured,  though  in  vain,  to 
escape  from  the  wrath  of  God,  which  was  kindled  against  them  on 
account  of  their  sin  :  they  felt  indeed  that  they  deserved  "  to  be  pun- 
ished with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and 
from  the  glory  of  his  power,  and  that  he  would  take  vengeance  in 
flaming  fire,"  2  Thess.  i.  8,  9  ;  for  they  were  forthwith  driven  from 
his  presence  and  "  from  the  tree  of  life,  out  of  Paradise,  the  entrance 
of  which  was  guarded  by  Cherubims  with  a  flaming  sword,"  Gen, 
iii.  23,  23,  24.    Since  it  was  now  "  impossible  for  the  law"  to  justify 
them,  because  "  it  was  become  weak  through  the  flesh,"  they  should 
not  have  escaped  the  wmth  to  come,  if  God  had  not,  according  to 
his  inconceivable  grace,  entertained  thoughts  of  peace  toward  them, 
and  promised  them  the  seed  of  the  woman,  the   Mediator,  in  his 
humiliation  and  exaltation,  in  order  to  conquer  Satan,  and  to  procure 
them  regeneration,  justification,  sanctification,  perseverance  and  sal- 
vation.    And  therefore  we  must  believe  that  they  were  delivered 
from  the  curse  of  the  law,  and  were  rendered  partakers  of  all  the 
benefits  of  the  Mediator  with  eternal  salvation. 

**  By  this  fall  and  disobedience  our  nature  is  become  so  corrupt,, 
that  we  are  all  conceived  and  born  in  sin,"  saith  the  instructor.  This 
corruption  of  our  nature  is  usually  called  by  divines  "  Original  (or 
hereditary)  sin,  because  we  inherit  it  of  our  parents  by  our  concep- 
tion and  birth.  Hear  what  David  saith.  Psalm  li.  5  "  Behold  I 
■was  shapen  in  iuiquity,  and  in  sin  did  my  mother  conceive  me."  We 
do  not  inherit  the  sin  of  our  immediate  parents,  but  of  Adam,  and 
we  inherit  particularly  his  first  sin  by  our  birth  of  our  parents  :  for 


Jir.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  -'  65 

it  was  only  that  first  sin,  by  which  he  broke  the  covenant  of  God  for 
himself  and  his  posterity.  See  Rom.  v.  12,  18. 

Original  sin  is  either  our  natural  guilt,  or  our  natural  pollution, 
flowing  from  our  natural  guilt.  Our  natural  guilt  is  called  imputed 
original  sin,  and  our  natural  pollution  is  called  inherent  original  sin. 
Imputed  original  sin  is  Adam's  first  sin,  which  is  imputed  by  God 
to  every  individual  of  his  posterity  in  consequence  of  the  broken 
covenant  of  works,  on  account  of  which  every  individual  is  declared 
guilty.  The  most  of  those  who  are  out  of  our  church,  as  the  Pela- 
gians, Socinians,  Mennonites  and  Remonstrants,  deny  this  imputed 
original  sin, :  yea,  the  J:insenists  also  oppose  it,  although  they  admit 
inherent  original  sin  But  the  word  of  God  teacheth  us  this  imputed 
original  sin :  for  the  covenant  of  works,  which  we  have  explained 
and  proved  before,  was  m?de  not  only  with  Adam,  but  in  him,  as  the 
head  of  the  covenant,  with  all  mankind  also,  wlio  should  descend 
from  him,  from  which  it  necessarily  follows  that  Adam  did  not  break 
that  covenant  only  for  himself,  but  also  for  all  his  posterity,  and  that 
he  rendered  both  himself  and  us  guilty.  Further,  "  v/e  are  children 
of  \.rath  by  nature,  "  Eph.  ii.  3.  Children,  who  have  not  yet  any 
actual  sin,  are  subject  to  every  kind  of  misery,  and  to  death.  How 
can_^  God  conduct  toward  them  with  so  much  severity,  if  they  have 
no  sin  ?  is  there  unrighteousness  with  God  ?  God  forbid :  it  must 
then  be  on  account  of  Adam's  sin.  Paul  explains  this  at  large,  Rom. 
V.  12 — 22.  His  design  is  to  show  that  believers  obtain  reconciliation 
and  righteousness  by  one  Christ,  vrs.  8 — 1 1.  He  explains  this  by 
the  connexion  between  Adam  and  us  his  members  in  his  first  sin, 
and  the  manner  in  which  we  become  guilty  by  that  sin  ;  therefore 
he  saith,  vrs.  14,  that  "  Adam  was  a  figure  of  him  who  was  to  come." 
In  what  wanner  was  he  a  figure  ?  "  as  by  the  disobedience  of  that 
one  man  many  were  made  sinners,  so  by  the  obedience  of  one  many 
shall  be  made  righteous,"  vrs.  17,  18,  19.  From  which  it  therefore 
evidently  appears,  that  the  sin  of  Adam  v.'as  reckoned  our  sin,  as 
the  righteousness  of  Christ  is  reckoned  the  righteousness  of  believers. 
He  sa'th  also  to  the  same  purspose,  vrs.  12,  "  By  one  man  sin 
entered  into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin,  and  so  death  psssed  upon 
all  men."  Therefore  the  sin  of  Adam  is  the  cause  ot  the  death  of 
all  men,  yea,  even  of  the  death  of  children,  who  have  not  sinned  after 
the  similitude  of  Adam's  transgression,  vrs.  14.  How  is  this  possible 
if  Adam  s  sin  be  not  imputed  to  all  ?  The  apostle  saith  also,  vrs.  12, 
"  in  whom,"  namely  Adam,  "  ail  have  sinned  :"  surely  not  actually, 
but  in  him,  considered  as  their  head.  And  if  we  translate  the  words 
r/iA  hoo  fiantes  eemarton,  not  "  in  whom,"  but  "  because  all  have  sin- 


irb  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

fled,"  as  many  do,  the  sense  will  be  the  same,  and  teach  us  that  sili 
have  sinned  by  Adam's  sin,  and  are  therefore  worthy  of  death.  He 
illustrates  this  further,  when  lie  saith  vrs.  15 — 19,  "  Through  the 
dffence  of  one,  many  be  dead.  The  judgment  is  by  one  who  sin- 
ned. The  judgment  was  by  one  to  condemnation.  By  the  offence 
of  one  liian  death  reigned  by  one.  By  the  offence  of  one  judgment 
ta.me  upon  all  men  to  condemnation.  By  one  man's  disobedience 
many  were  made  sinners."  Who  can  preser^e  the  fot'ce  of  these 
words  without  admitting  such  an  imputed  guilt  ?  It  is  not  just,  say 
our  adversaries,  that  anolher  man's  sin,  which  we  ourselves  have 
neither  committed,  nor  consented  to  beforehand,  should  be  imputed 
10  us,  and  that  v/e  should  be  reckoned  guilty  on  account  of  that  sin* 
But  how  will  it  consist  with  the  justice  of  God,  that  he  inflicts  so 
many,  and  such  grievous  judgments,  yea,  death  itself  upon  children, 
if  they  inherit  not  the  guilt  of  Adam's  sin,  and  have  not  themselves* 
any  actual  sin  ?  Moreover,  we  must  not  consider  Adam's  sin,  as  the 
bin  of  any  other  private  man,  but  as  the  sin  of  all  mankind  in  Adamj 
as  their  covenant  head. 

Inasmuch  as  the  sin  of  Adam  corrupted  his  nature,  therefore  our 
nature  is  also  become  corrupt  through  his  sin  imputed  to  us :  which 
corrupt  nature  constitutes  our  inherent  original  sin,  whereby  all  the 
children  of  Adam  being  deprived  from  their  birth  of  the  image  of 
God,  having  their  understanding  darkened,  their  conscience  defiled, 
being  disinclined  to  that  Avhich  is  good  and  prone  to  evil,  possess  a 
wicked  disposition  of  heart,  the  active  source  of  every  wicked  desire, 
and  of  every  sinful  action  :  Surely  this  inherent  original  sin  consists 
not  in  a  mere  deprivation  of  the  divine  image,  but  also  in  a  wicked 
disposition  of  the  heart :  therefore  it  is  called  "  the  old  man,  the  body 
of  sin,  fiesh,  the  law  of  sin,"  Rom.  vi.  and  vii.  The  Pelagians,  Soci- 
nians.  Remonstrants  and  Mennonites,  deny  also  this  inherent  original 
sin.  The  Jansenists,  who  deny  imputed  original  sin,  confess  never- 
theless the  inherent ;  but  the  Jesuits,  who  acknowledge  imputed 
original  sin,  deny  the  inherent :  they  vvill  indeed  allow  that  man  is 
nov,'  destitute  of  the  divine  image,  which  was  given  to  him  before 
tiie  fail,  as  a  golden  bridle,  to  restrain  the  lusts  of  the  fiesh  :  but  they 
believe  not  that  he  hath  such  a  wicked  disposition.  But  all  this  is 
(a)  directly  contrary  to  the  word  of  God,  which  teachcth  us  this  in- 
herent original  sin :  Adam,  created  at  first  in  the  image  of  God, 
which  he  lost  by  sin,  "  begat  a  son  in  his  own  likeness,  after  his 
image,"  Gen.  v.  1,  3,  Adam  was  sinful,  and  his  son  was  born  after 
that  sinful  image  of  him.  "  Every  imagination  of  the  thoughts  of 
myn'8  hvart  is  only  evil,  and  that  continually,"  Gen.  vi,  S,  and  indeed 


III.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  «? 

««fpom  his  youth,"  Gen.  viii»SK  Man  is  called  "a  transgressor 
from  the  womb,"  Tsakh  xIviH.  8.  And  it  is  thus  with  all  men,  who 
proceed  from  Adam  by  ordinary  generation,  Mary,  the  mother  of 
the  Lord  i50t  excepted.  Job  asserts  it :  "  Who  can  brin?:  a  clean 
thing  out  of  an  unclean  ?"  Job  xiv*  4.  The  Saviour  also  saith,  John 
iii.  6.  "  That  which  is  born  of  Hesh  is  flesh  "  (b)  The  general  pre- 
valence of  ignorance  and  concupiscence  manifests  also  our  inherent 
original  sin  ;  for  if  it  were  not  natural  to  man,  and  innate  to  him,  it 
would  not  be  so  general,  and  cleave  so  fast  to  him ;  at  least  his  un- 
violated  freewill,  of  which  our  adversaries  boast  so  much,  would  sub- 
due it  at  last,  and  the  world  would  become  better,  (c)  The  necessity 
of  the  new  birth,  the  circumcision  and  baptism  of  children  manifests 
the  depravity  and  impurity  of  the  first  birth.  (<l)  Let  the  actions  of 
children  speak,  their  wicked  humors  soon  show  the  depravity  of  their 
nature.  They  do  not  surely  derive  this  depravity  from  evil  exam- 
ples, which  they  imitate,  for  they  are  often  guilty  of  sins  which  they 
do  not  observe  in  others  :  why  do  they  not  imitate  good  examples  as 
well  as  evil,  if  their  nature  do  not  cleave  to  sin  ?  Though  godly 
parents  educate  their  children  ever  so  carefully  by  good  examples^ 
admonitions  and  chastisements,  they  experience  nevertheless  to  their 
sorrow  that  their  depravity  still  cleaves  to  their  children.  The  child- 
ren are  indeed  called  holy,  1  Cor.  vii.  14.  but  not  with  respect  to  the 
covenant  of  works  but  of  grace,  into  which  they  are  admitted  with 
their  believing  parents  :  for  they  are  otherwise  unclean,  as  Paul  saith 
in  the  same  text,  who  doth  not  therefore  deny  inherent  original  sinj 
but  confirms  it. 

But  a  greater  difficulty  occurs  here,  to  wit,  m  What  manner  the 
soul  which  is  created  immediately  by  God  becomes  so  sinful.  It  is 
absurd  to  say,  that  the  soul  is  propagated  by  the  parents :  for  the 
soul  is  created  immediately  by  G©d  in  the  body,  Eccl  vii.  7.  Zech. 
xii.  I.  It  is  also  a  spirit,  which  cannot  be  produced  by  a  bodily  gen- 
eration :  and  although  the  parents  produce  the  body  only,  and  not 
the  soul,  they  can  nevertheless  with  great  propriety  be  said  to  pro- 
duce a  man  into  the  world,  as  vvell  as  those  who  kill  the  body  only, 
and  not  the  soul,  may  be  said  to  kill  a  man*  1  declare  that  I  can- 
not comprehend  how  the  soul  is  created  holy  in  a  sinful  body,  and 
becomes  polluted  by  the  sinful  body,  nor  how  the  corruption  of  the 
soul  proceeds  from  a  polluted  seed,  or  from  a  sinful  and  irregular 
conduct  of  the  parents  in  generation  i  for  we  should  not  then  inherit 
so  much  the  sin  of  Adam,  as  the  sin  of  our  immediate  parents,  and 
their  irregular  conduct,  which  is  contrary  to  the  word  of  God  ;  fof 
*hat  saith  that  we  inherit  the  sin  of  Adam,  and  particularly  his  first 


58  TfiE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

sin,  and  that  "  the  son  shall  not  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  father,'' 
Ezck.  xviii.  20.  Neither  may  it  be  said,  that  the  essence  of  the  soul 
consists  in  thdUG^ht,  that  it  had  evil  thoughts  in  its  mother's  womb, 
and  polluted  itself  in  that  manner:  for  this  is  contrary  to  Rom.  ix. 
1 1,  and  it  would  still  remain  a  difficulty,  whence  such  a  sinful  think- 
ing should  proceed.  Such  an  assertion  is  also  dangerous,  as  appears 
in  the  Pelagians,  who,  while  they  maintained  this  opinion,  denied 
original  sin,  and  were  therefore  condemned  hi  the  council  of  Mile- 
vitum  But  we  must  look  higher  here,  and  consider  God  as  a  judge, 
who  imputing  the  sin  of  Adam  justly  to  his  posterity,  and  pronounc- 
ing them  guilty  in  consequence  thereof,  withholds  his  image  from 
them,  and  surrenders  them  to  the  power  of  sin  and  Satan,  as  God 
often  punisheth  one  sin  with  another,  Psalm  Ixxxi.  11,  12.  Rom  i. 
21 — 32.  But  how  do  we  then  inherit  the  sin  of  our  parents  by  our 
birth  ?  according  to  Psalm  li.  5.  We  will  understand  this,  when  we 
consider  that  our  parents  propagate  us  under  a  broken  covenant  of 
works,  and  so  as  children  of  our  sinful  father  Adam,  who  begat  a 
son  after  his  own  disposition,  and  "  after  his  image  and  likeness," 
Gen.  i.  3.  We  are  born  of  our  parents  not  simply  in  a  natural,  but 
also  in  a  moral  state  under  Adam,  not  only  as  our  natural,  but  also 
as  our  moral  head  in  the  covenant  of  works.  The  marriage  law, 
Gen,  i.  28.  "Be  fruitful  and  multiply,'*  was  added  to  the  covenant 
of  works,  that  children  might  be  born  under  that  covenant  of  works. 
If  Adam  had  continued  to  stand,  the  image  of  God  would  have  been 
transmitted  to  us,  his  posterity  by  our  birth  ;  but  now  the  sinful 
image  of  Adam  is  transmitted  to  all  who  proceed  from  his  loins,  by 
their  birlh  under  the  broken  covenant  of  works.  And  thus  our 
parents  serve  as  instruments  of  God's  justice  to  •'  conclude  all  under 
the  disobedience  of  Adam,"  Rom.  xi.  32.  If  we  understand  the  mat- 
ter thus,  we  shall  presently  see  that  Mary  also  was  born  with  original 
sin,  and  not  her  Son  the  Lord  Jesus ;  inasmnch  as  he  was  not  born 
in  consequence  of  the  law,  "  Be  fruitful  and  multiply,"  and  so  not 
under  the  covenant  of  works,  and  cannot  be  reckoned  in  Adam  as 
the  head  of  the  covenant,  although  he  may,  as  his  natural  head  :  and 
there  fore  h*  is  opposed  to  Adam  in  a  moral  and  covenant  relation, 
Rom.  v.  14 — 19  1  Cor.  xv.  32 — 47,  48,  49,  although  he  is  referred 
to  Adam,  as  his  first  father  in  a  natural  relation,  Luke  iii.  23 — 38. 
God  saith,  Ezek.  xviii.  20.  "  The  son  shall  not  bear  the  iniquity  of 
tlie  father.'*  From  this  passage  our  adversaries  conclude,  that  the 
children  of  Adam  do  not  inherit  his  sin  by  their  birth,  and  that  they 
cannot  be  punished  on  account  of  it.  But  we  cannot  conclude  this 
from  that  text :  for  our  fathers  besides  Adam  do  not  stand  nor  fall 


in.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  59 

for  us,  as  covenant  heads  in  the  covenant  of  works.  It  is  not  a  gene- 
ral case,  that  the  son  doth  not  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  father,  since 
God  sometimes  "  visits  the  iniquities  of  the  fathers  upon  the  child- 
ren," Exod.  XX.  5.  But  in  Ezek.  xviii.  20,  there  is  a  mitigation  of 
that  righteous  vengeance,  on  account  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  The 
son  bears  the  iniquity  of  the  father  by  virtue  of  the  covenant  of  works, 
but  not  on  account  of  the  covenant  of  grace.  See  this  Jer.  xxxi. 
38—31. 

APPLICATION. 

Behold,  hearers,  so  glorious  were  ye  created,  and  after  the  image 
of  God,  and  so  wretched  and  abominable  are  ye  become  through 
your  birth  1  Do  ye  see  it  in  yourselves  ?  doth  it  affect  you  with  grief? 
do  ye  humble  and  abase  yourselves  on  account  of  it,  as  the  matter 
requires  ?  Surely  ye  do  not,  who  are  still  such  as  ye  were  at  your 
birth,  and  who  have  never  yet  departed  out  of  Adam,  and  out  of  the 
covenant  of  works,  and  entered  into  Christ,  the  second  Adam,  and 
into  the  covenant  of  grace.  For, 

1.  Ye  have  never  yet  come  to  yourselves,  so  as  to  see  your  natu- 
ral guilt  and  abominable  corruption,  to  bewail  it,  and  to  humble  your- 
selves on  account  of  it.  Yea,  as  miserable  and  hatefully  wicked  as 
ye  have  been  from  your  birth,  ye  are  nevertheless  proud  and  haughty 
on  account  of  it.  Ye  know  wonderfully  well  how  to  boast  of  your 
noble  parentage,  to  relate  ftom  what  family  ye  have  sprung,  this  and 
that  great  personage  was  your  kinsman ;  and  ye  consider  not  that 
your  first  father  sinned,  and  was  a  covenant  breaker,  and  that  ye  are 
by  your  natural  birth  "  af  your  father  the  devil."  John  viii.  44.  Ye 
boast  of  your  good  heart,  of  your  great  understanding,  and  your  noble 
virtues,  and  require  that  every  one  should  esteem  and  love  you,  and 
when  they  do  not,  ye  are  angry  :  do  ye  perceive  that  any  one  hath 
an  esteem  for  you,  your  heart  is  immediately  tickled,  and  swells 
with  pride,  as  a  bladder  with  wind,  and  ye  speak,  with  a  lofty  air. 
Your  foolish  imagination,  that  ye  are  something,  emboldens  you  to 
draw  near  to  God,  like  the  Pharisee,  Luke  xviii.  11,  12,  in  an  arro- 
gant manner,  and  to  display  your  specious  virtues  before  him  :  and 
ye  doubt  not  but  that  God  will  be  favourable  to  you,  yea,  ye  think 
that  if  he  did  not  bestow  heaven  upon  you,  he  would  deal  unjustly 
by  you ;  and  so  ye  possess  your  father's  disposition,  who  "  would  be 
like  God,"  Gen.  iii.  3,  22.  Do  ye  once  see  your  damnable  sins,  it 
doth  not  however  render  you  concerned,  but  yc  presently  turn  away 
from  beholding  them,  and  excuse  them  as  weaknesses,  which  yc 
ought  not  much  to  regard. 


60         THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

2.  Ye  know  indeed  that  yo  are  not  as  ye  ought  to  be,  and  as  your 
father  Adam  was  before  the  fall :  but  ye  never  inquire  by  what 
means  ye  have  become  so  miserable  r  ye  do  not  concern  yourselve* 
therewith)  but  rej^ard  it  as  a  matter,  which  hath  happened  lona-  since, 
and  which  is  far  off,  and  doth  not  relate  to  you.  Yea,  many  of  yoa 
are  still  so  ignorant,  that  they  know  not  even  from  the  word  of  God, 
and  as  a  truth,  that  man  is  so  miserable  on  account  of  Adam's  sin 
through  bis  birth  ;  how  should  they  then  know  from  a  thorough  con- 
templation  of  themselves,  their  own  misery  and  the  causes  of  it? 

3.  Are  ye  ever  led  to  a  fair  view  of  your  iniquity,  either  by  a  wis» 
reprover,  or  by  the  conviction  of  your  own  consciences,  ye  seek,  pre- 
ZfCTifiy  for  the  cause  of  the  sin,  which  is  discovered  to  you,  yet  ye  do 
not  ftnd  the  true  cause,  but  a  false  one,  which  ye  do  then  pretend, 
in  order  to  excuse  yourselves :  one  thinks,  or  says,  the  flesh  is  weak, 
and  he  doth  not  see  the  wickedness  of  his  flesh ;  another  alledges^ 
the  devil  is  busy,  and  he  says  with  Eve,  "  the  serpent  deceived  me,'^ 
Gen.  ii.  IS.  It  is  as  though  the  devil  did  every  sin  through  the  sin- 
ner, as  he  deceived  the  woman  through  the  serpent,  and  as  though 
the  binner  himself  were  not  abominable,  and  did  not  commit  sin  : 
a  third  pretends  custom,  he  knows  not  that  he  doth  it,  as  if  custom 
would  excuse  him,  and  as  if  it  did  not  greatly  aggravate  his  iniquity, 
that  he  was  accustomed  to  sin,  and  it  wasbecome,  asit  were,  hisnature: 
a  fourth  wi!i  lay  the  blame  upon  his  calling,  th^t  it  is  difficult  and 
that  it  cannot  be  followed  without  a  piofanation  of  the  name  and  day 
of  God,  or  without  cheating  and  wronging  others  :  but  such  a  calling 
is  not  lawfiji  and  is  itself  sinful ;  he  will  then  atso  accuse  his  neigh- 
bour, he  brought  me  to  it,  saith  the  sinner,  when  his  iniquity  is 
found,  which  is  hatehil :  or  his  parents  have  done  it  by  an  evil  ex- 
ftmple,  or  i  careless  education  :  they  have  eaten  sour  grapes  :  or  he 
excuses  himself  with  the  conduct  of  the  man  or  the  woman,  yea, 
what  i»  ^tUl  more  abominable,  the  sinner  is  so  wicked,  that  he  dares 
with  Adam  blame  his  Maker  for  his  s|n,  and  say  that  he  is  the  cause 
of  It,  Gen  ill  iS.  A  man  hath  not  made  himself,  saith  he  often  O 
wicked  monster,  that  thou  wilt  excuse  thine  own  hateful  heart  and 
conduct,  and  accuse  others,  yea,  even  thy  pure  Maker. 

4.  Dq  ye  know  that  the  sinner  is  become  50  evil  and  pen^ersc 
through  the  fall  gf  Adam,  ye  know  il  only  as  a  truth,  which  occurs 
in  the  word,  but  ye  do  not  see  it  in  yourselves  ;  for  ye  have  never 
yet  looked  into  yourselves,  in  order  to  condemn  yourselves  with  de- 
testation and  concern.  All  men  are  considered  by  you  as  abomina- 
ble,  according  to  the  word  of  God  :  but  vhen  ye  come  to  yourselves, 
ye  then  think  that  ve  are  not  so  wicked  as  this  and  that  one,  byt 


lit.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  6) 

rather  somewhat  better.  Ye  are  perhaps  so  expert  in  the  word  of 
righteousness,  that  ye  are  able  to  refute  all  the  objections  of  the 
adversaries:  but  when  ye  are  only  a  little  concerned  about  your 
evil  character,  and  fearful  of  eternal  perdition,  bow  do  your  hearts 
rise  up  in  displeasure  against  the  Lord,  and  say  within  you,  with 
the  wicked  Jews  "  The  way  of  the  Lord  is  not  equal,' '  Ezek.  xviii, 
25,  29,  and  "  why  doth  he  yet  find  fault  ?  for  who  hath  resisted  his 
will  ?"  Rom.  ix.  19.  This  is  not  a  subtle  injection  of  Satan  into  you, 
but  it  is  a  dictate  of  your  own  evil  hearts,  and  ye  cherish  that  wicked 
thought ;  yea,  rise  up  against  the  Lord  and  seek  to  disengage  your* 
selves  from  him  and  his  service. 

Is  it  not  thus  with  you  ?  attend  only  to  the  workings,  the  thoughts 
and  imaginations  of  your  hearts,  to  the  words  of  your  mouths,  and 
your  whole  conversation,  and  ye  will  see  it.  Do  not  make  light  of 
it  by  thinking,  I  know  that  it  is  sad  enough,  and  not  meddling  any 
further  with  it :  but  stand  still  a  while  by  it,  and  see  your  great 
misery,  that  ye  come  short  of  the  image  and  glory  of  God,  Rom.  iii. 
23.  Ye  have  the  sinful  image  of  your  father  Adam,  Gen.  v.  3,  where- 
by ye  have  apostatized  from  God  to  yourselves,  yea,  to  his  enemy; 
"  your  actions  and  birth  are  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  your  father  M'as 
an  Ammonite,  and  your  mother  a  Hitlite :"  your  birth  is  hateful  and 
loathsome,  Ezek.  xvi.  3,  4,  S.  Ye  are  "  a  seed  of  evildoers,  and 
transgressors  from  the  womb,"  Isaiah  i.  4.  xlviii.  8.  Your  hearts 
work  up  nothing  "  but  mire  and  dirt,"  Isaiah  Ivii.  20.  Ye  are  "  by 
nature  children  of  wrath,"  Eph.  ii.  3.  And  know  that  if  ye  remain 
as  ye  are,  heaven  will  be  shut  against  you,  as  Paradise  was  against 
your  parents :  for  "  there  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  it  any  thing 
that  defileth,  or  worketh  abomination,  or  maketh  a  lie,"  Rev.  xxi.  27. 

Alas  1  friends,  endeavour  to  escape  from  your  destruction,  and  to 
surmount  your  miserable  condition  and  situation.  And  for  this  pur- 
pose. 

1 .  Look  upon  Adam's  condition  as  yours.  Ye  were  indeed  contained 
m  his  loins,  ye  have  sprung  from  him,  and  were  born  under  his  rove* 
ii  ant,  and  the  covenant  of  works  was  estabhshed  with  you  in  him, 
and  ye  do  yet  daily  enter  into  that  covenant,  when  ye  say  inconsider- 
ately with  the  carnal  Israelites,  Exod.  xix.  8.  "  All  that  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  will  we  do  :"  and  when  ye  rest  and  seek  your  life  in 
your  doings.  Yea,  ye  have  broken  the  covenant  in  Adam,  and  ye 
break  it  daily,  when  ye  commit  the  same  sin  that  Adam  committed 
by  transgressing  the  law  of  God,  aiming  at  high  things,  seeking  the 
creature  more  than  God,  listening  to  the  suggestions  of  Satan,  and 
following  them.    Do  not  »U  the  judgmeius  which  were  threatened 


62  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

and  inflicted  by  God  on  account  of  the  sin  of  Adam,  lie  also  upon 
you,  as  they  respect  the  man,  the  woman  and  the  earth  ? 

2.  (Compare  your  condition  before  the  fall  with  your  condition 
since.  How  glorious  was  it  before  the  fall !  Ye  were,  like  the  image 
of  God,  perfectly  wise,  holy,  without  any  sinful  emotions,  lords  of  all 
things,  immortal,  provided  in  the  perfect  garden  of  pleasure  with  an 
abundance  of  all  things,  created  to  know,  to  love  your  Creator,  and 
to  live  with  him  in  eternal  happiness,  to  glorify  and  praise  him. 
But  ye  are  now  foolish,  abominable,  slaves  of  the  creatures  and  of 
sm,  ye  must  seek  your  bread  with  much  anxiety,  and  must  every 
moment  expect  and  fear  death,  yea,  everlasting  destruction  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord.  Be  grieved  and  lament  on  account  of  your 
fathers,  yea,  on  account  of  your  own  sins,  which  have  procured  all 
these  thmgs  to  you.  Ye  have  more  reason  than  the  church  had  to 
complain.  Lam.  v.  16.  "  The  crown  is  fallen  from  our  head  :  wo 
unto  us  that  we  have  sinned." 

3.  Endeavour  to  obtam  a  thorough  knowledge  of  your  sinfulness^ 
and  woful  misery.  Attend  not  only  to  your  evil  actions,  but  descend 
to  the  bottom  of  your  hearts,  which  are  indeed  more  abominable 
than  your  sinful  actions :  behold  there  the  headspring  of  all  your 
abominable  deeds.  Observe  all  the  workings,  motions,  and  inclina- 
tions of  your  hearts,  whence  they  arise,  and  whither  they  would  lead 
you.  So  David  acted,  when  he  confessed  his  heinous  sins.  He  con- 
sidered his  iniquity  and  sin  in  which  he  was  conceived  and  brought 
forth,"  as  the  cause  of  those  ainh,  and  hq  humbled  himself  on  ac- 
count of  it,  Psalm  li.  5.  And  beware  of  "  covering  your  transgres- 
sions like  Adam,  by  hiding  your  iniquity  in  your  bosom,"  Job  xxxi. 
33.  Do  not  esteem  any  sin  small ;  the  least,  like  Adam's  eating  of 
the  fruit,  is  a  bond  of  iniquity :  every  sin,  yea,  even  the  least  de- 
serves death  and  the  curse  ;  for  "  cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth 
not  in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do 
them,"  Gal.  iii.  10.  Do  but  see  this,  subdue  your  pride,  bemoan  and 
humble  yourselves. 

4.  Flee  to  the  second  Adam,  the  Son  of  God,  that  he  may  take 
away  your  evil  iniquities.  God,  willing  to  manifest  kindness  to  sin- 
ners, and  to  glorify  himself  as  a  gracious  God  ;  and  this  being  im- 
possible by  the  law  of  the  co\enant  of  works  "  gave  his  Son  to  be  a 
covenant  to  tlie  people,  a  light  to  the  Gentiles,"  Isaiah  xlix.  6.  He 
took  sin  on  him,  satisfied  for  the  guilt  of  it,  and  obtained  the  right- 
eousness of  God  :  "  For  what  the  lav/  could  not  do,  in  that  it  was 
weak  through  the  flesh,  God  sending  his  own  Son  in  the  likeness 
of  sinful  fiei^h,  and  that  for  sin,  condemned  fcin  in  the  flesh  ;  that  the 


iii.  LORID'S  DAY,  Q.  6,  7.  63 

righteousness  of  tlie  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,"  Rorri.  viii.  S,  4. 
"  for  as  by  one  man's  disobedience  many  were  made  sinners,  so  by 
the  obedience  of  one  shall  many  be  made  righteous,"  Rom.  v.  19, 
<•  God  sets  him  forth  to  you,"  that  ye  may  seek  '»  recoRciliation  in 
hira  through  faith,"  Rom.  iii.  25.  He  calls  to  you,  that  ye  may 
"  come  to  him,  and  that  he  may  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with 
you,  and  give  you  all  the  sure  mercies  of  David,"  the  Messiah,  Isaiah 
Iv.  I,  2,  3.  Do  not  refuse,  but  betake  yourselves  to  Christ,  cast  your- 
selves upon  him,  accept  of  him,  and  endeavour  to  "  receive  of  his 
fullness,  and  grace  for  grace.'*  John  i.  16. 

5.  Take  good  heed  that  ye  do  not  destroy  nor  deface  the  image 
of  God  still  more  with  respect  to  that  which  remains  of  it.  Do  not 
injure  your  neighbour,  who  is  made  after  the  image  of  God  :  for  ye 
should  violate  the  image  of  God  in  him,  Gen  ix.  6,  James  iii.  8,  9, 
Beware  that  ye  do  not,  by  hardening  yourselves,  and  accustoming 
yourselves  to  sin,  lay  waste  your  conscience,  (in  which  there  is  still 
something  of  the  image  of  God  left,  and  which  reminds  you  of  your 
duty,  and  convinceth  you  of  sin  and  the  wrath  of  God),  but  stir  up, 
and  animate  your  conscience  continually,  endeavour  to  be  renewed 
again  after  the  image  of  God.  "  Make  yourselves  a  new  heart,  and 
anew  spirit,"  Ezek,  xviii.  31.  Cast  yourselves  upon  Christ,  the 
image  of  the  invisible  God,  that  he  may  be  formed  in  you  ;  for  «if 
any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature,"  2  Cor.  v.  17.  Look 
steadfastly  at  his  holy  and  beaming  glory,  that  ye  may  be  *'  changed 
into  the  same  image  from  glorj  to  glory,  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord,"  2  Cor.  iii.  18. 

6.  Lest  ye  should  be  insnared  again,  beware  of  the  wiles  of  the 
devil :  "  Be  sober,  be  vigilant,  because  your  adversary  the  devil,  as 
a  roaring  lion,  walketh  about,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour,"  I 
Peter  v.  8.  "  He  beguiled  Eve,"  as  wise  and  holy  as  she  was, 
"through  his  subtilty,"  2  Cor.  xi.  3,  it  will  not  then  be  difficult  for 
him  to  seduce  you,  who  harbour  his  abetters,  your  corruptions  in 
you :  endeavour  therefore  to  learn  his  devices.  Suspect  such  ques- 
tions as,  should  this  and  that  be  true,  or  a  sin  ?  representations  of 
the  creatures  of  God,  and  of  sins,  calculated  to  allure  the  mind,  ex- 
citations to  aim  at  high  things,  unfavourable  thoughts  of  God,  as  if 
he  had  no  incl^iation  to  do  you  good,  and  particularly  blasphemous, 
and  unnatural  injections ;  I  say,  suspect  all  these,  as  proceeding 
from  the  devil,  and  resist  them  at  the  first  attack,  and  repel  them 
from  you,  as  ye  would  shake  fire  from  your  clothes.  If  ye  enter 
into  a  conversation  with  him,  he  will  insnare  you,  before  ye  are 
av^are,  as  he  did  Eve :  reject  him  again  aiid  again,  like  the  Saviour^, 


6i  THE  FIRST  CAUSE  OF  GOOD  AND  EVIL. 

Matt.  !V.  II.  "Resist  the  devil,  and  he  will  flee  from  you,"  James 
iv.  7, 

T.  Parents,  who  afe  favoured  by  God  with  children,  oppose  be- 
times the  corruption  of  your  children  :  inform  them  of  their  con-up- 
tion  and  damnable  condition,  and  how  they  must  be  delivered  by 
Christ.  Ye  have  connected  them  by  their  birth  with  Adam,  endeav* 
our  therefore  to  connect  them  also  with  Christ :  "  Ye  fathers,  pro- 
voke  not  your  children  to  wrath  :  but  bringj  them  up  in  the  nurture 
and  admonition  of  the  Lord,**  saith  Paul,  Eph.  vi.  4.  So  Abraham 
conducted.  Gen.  xviii.  If,  18.  David,  Prov.  iv.  5,  4,  5,  6,  and  the 
mother  and  grandmother  of  Timothy,  2  Tim.  i.  5  .  iii.  15. 

How  happy  are  they  who  have  fled  to  the  second  Adam,  and 
sheltered  themselves  under  the  shadow  of  his  wings  I  Whatsoever 
they  had  lost  in  the  first  Adam  they  obtain  again  in  him  :  "  Of  God 
they  are  in  Christ  JesUs  who  of  God  is  made  unto  them  wisdom, 
and  righteousness,  and  sanctification  and  redemption,"  1  Cor.  i.  30* 
Adam  was  seduced  by  the  wicked  one,  but,  partakers  of  Christ,  "the 
Lord  will  establish  and  keep  you  from  the  wicked  one,"  Sj  Thess. 
iii.  3.  Adam,  and  ye  in  Adam,  broke  the  covenant  of  God:  but 
**  the  Lord  hath  now  made  another,"  and  better  "  covenant  with  you, 
which  cannot  be  broken,"  and  which  is  everlasting)  that  he  will  not 
turn  away  from  you,  to  do  you  good  ;  he  hath  put  his  fear  into  your 
hearts,  so  that  ye  shall  not  depart  from  him,"  Jer.  xxxii.  40.  Ye  lost 
the  image  of  God  in  Adam,  but  in  the  Son  of  God  ye  are  "  again 
become  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,"  2  Peter  i.  4.  And  how  will 
his  image  be  glorified  in  your  immortality,  and  eternal  happiness  S 
I'or  "  as  ye  have  borne  the  image  of  the  earthly,  ye  shall  also  bear 
the  image  of  the  heavenly,"  1  Cor.  xv.  49.  Yea,  *'  ye  shall  behold 
the  face  of  God  in  righteousness  ;  ye  shall  be  satisfied,  when  ye 
awake,  with  his  likeness,"  Psalm  xvii  15.  Adam  was  dismissed  out 
of  Paradise,  but  the  second  Adam,  Jesus  the  King  will  call  you  into 
the  Paradise  of  God,  the  third  heaven  ;  and  how  happy  will  ye  be, 
when  he  will  say,  according  to  Matt.  xxv.  34.  **  Come  ye  blessed  of 
my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world  !"  Amen. 


(   i5    ) 


THE 


INABILITY  OF  THE  SINNER 
TO  DO  GOOD. 

SEQUEL  OF  tH£  III.  LORD'S  DAY. 

Rom.  viii.  f .     The  carrial  mind  is  enmity  against  God :  for  it  it 
not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be. 

Q.  8.  jire  we  then  so  corrupt,  that  %ve  are  wholly  incapable  of  doing 
any  good,  and  inclined  to  all  wickedness  f 

A.  Indeed  we  are,  except  we  are  regenerated  by  the  Spirit  of  God« 


IV.  LORD'S  DAY. 

Q.  9.  Doth  not  God  then  do  injustice  to  man,  by  requiring  from  him 
m  his  law,  that  which  he  cannot  perform  f 

A.  Not  at  all :  for  God  made  man  capable  of  performing  it :  but 
man,  by  the  instigation  of  the  devil,  and  his  own  wilful  disobedience, 
deprived  himself  and  all  his  posterity  of  those  divine  gifts. 


JL  O  be  miserable,  and  to  be  unable  to  help  one's  self,  renders 
•ne  doubly  miserable.  When  a  person  falls  into  the  fire  or  water, 
and  cannot  deliver  himself,  he  must  perish,  unless  another,  moved 
to  compassion  by  his  misery  and  crying,  help  him.  The  sinner  is 
become  both  abominable  and  miserable  by  his  sins  ;  for  he  hates  the 
most  lovely  God  and  his  neighbour,  who  is  made  after  the  image  of 
God ;  "  We  were  sometimes  foolish,  disobedient,  deceived,  serving 
divers  lusts  and  pleasures,  hving  in  malice,  and  envy,  hateful  and  hating 
♦ne  another,"  saith  the  apostle,  Tit.  iii.  3,  God  had  created  him  in 
the  beginning  after  his  image,  he  was  a  partaker  of  the  divine  nature  ; 
lut  he  hath  sinned,  hath  defaced  that  image,  and  "  comes  short  of 
t^€  glory  of  God,"  Rom,  iii.  33,  and  he  hath  now  an  abominable 


66      THE  INABILITY  OF  THE  SINNER  TO  DO  UOuD. 

disposition  of  heart,  the  image  of  Satan,  for  "  he  is  his  father,"  John 
viii.  44.  He  is  ''cursed,  because  he  hath  not  continued  in  all  things 
which  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law,"  Cial.  iii.  10.  God  hath 
withdrawn  his  love  and  his  kindness  from  him>"he!  is  angry  with  him, 
and  "'  will  take  vengeance  on  him  in  flaming  fire,  and  punish  him 
with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from 
the  gl  »ry  of  his  power,"  2  i'hess.  i.  8,  9.  If  the  sinner  could  deliver 
himself,  he  would  surmount  his  wretchedness:  but  that  which  aggra- 
vates his  miserv  to  the  uttermost  is,  that  he  cannot  recover  himself: 
he  cannot  disengage  himself  from  sin,  and  the  sinfulness  of  his  na~ 
ture,  he  is  too  effectually  intangled  in  it,  "  his  iniquities  compass  him 
about,  and  he  is  holden  with  the  cords  of  his  sins,"  Prov.  v.  22.  It  is 
impossible  for  him  to  convert,  to  regenerate  himself,  and  to  keep 
the  law  of  God  ;  for  "  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,  it  is 
not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  be,"  saith  Paul  in 
the  text.  The  instructor  also  teacheth  us  this  in  these  two  questions^ 
that  he  may  humble  the  sinner,  and  prepare  him  for  deliverance. 

The  instructor,  that  he  may  lead  the  sinner  to  his  Deliverer, 
teacheth  him  his  misery  out  of  the  law,  and  particularly  that  he  is 
prone  to  hate  God  and  his  neighbour,  Questions  3,  4,  5,  and  that 
though  he  was  created  at  first  in  the  image  of  God,  he  hath  lost  that 
image  by  sin,  and  is  now  born  in  sin.  Questions  6,  7.  What  must 
he  do  now  ?  he  ought  to  reform  and  restore  himself ;  but  he  is  un- 
able to  do  this  ;  for  he  is  so  corrupt,  that  he  is  wholly  incapable  of 
doing  any  good,  and  is  inclined  to  all  wickedness. 

The  instructor,  that  he  may  exhibit  the  doctrine  of  the  sinner's 
inability,  proposes, 

I.  The  doctrine.  Question  8,  and  then  refutes, 

II.  An  objection  against  it.  Question  9. 

I.  We  teach  with  the  catechism  according  to  the  word  of  Godi 
that  "  man  is  so  corrupt,  that  he  is  wholly  incapable  of  doing  any. 
good,  and  inclined  to  all  wickedness."  This  was  gain-said  of  old  by 
the  Pelagians,  and  Semipelagians,  and  is  still  by  the  Socinians,  Re- 
monstrants, Jesuits  and  many  Mennonites.  Although  they  allow 
that  man  is  become  somewhat  weak  by  sm,  as  a  sick  man,  and  can- 
not do  that  which  is  good  without  difficulty,  they  nevertheless  hold 
that  he  hath  still  an  ability  to  understand  clearly  all  that  is  necessary 
for  him  to  believe,  hope  and  do,  in  order  to  obtain  salvation :  yea, 
also  to  desire,  to  hunger,  to  thirst,  and  pray  for  grace,  to  purpose 
and  resolve  to  do  good :  yea,  the  Socinians  think  that  man  is  still 
able  to  perform  <^hat  which  is  good,  and  obey  the  will  of  God,  and 
That  he  needs  only  to  exert  himself  for  this  purpose.     They  talk 


in.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  8,     IV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  9.        6? 

indeed  of  God's  as&isting  grace,  but  they  do  not  mean  any  thing  by- 
it,  but  the  nature  of  the  free  and  indifferent  will,  or  a  general  and 
suiiicicnt  grace,  vriiich  God  bestows,  according  to  the  new  covenant, 
on  every  man,  but  which  doth  not  effect  any  thing,  until  our  good 
free  will  first  seek,  and  render  it  effectual.     The  reason  why  they 
entertain  this  opinion  is,  their  idea  that  *'  God  created  man  only  with 
natural  endowments,  or  neither  good  nor  evil ;  that  the  image  of 
God  is  not  natural  to  man,  but  supernatural ;  that  therefore  the  sin- 
i.i,er  hath  not  lost  any  natural  but  only  supernatural  gifts  and  powers; 
that  original  sin  consists  not  in  a  sinful,  but  only  in   the  want  of  a 
holy  disposition,  ^nd  that  the  freedom  of  the  will  consists  in  indiffer- 
ence, whereby  a  person  can  incline  himself  to  good  as  well  as  evil." 
And  if  ne  will  examine  the  foundation  of  this  erroneous  conception 
somewhat  more  thoroughly,  we  shall  perceive  that  the  fundamental 
cause  of  it  is  pride,  self-love,  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  sin  and  hG.i- 
ness.     For  why  else  dp  these  men  plead  so  much  in  favour  of  sinful 
nature,  and  teach  that  the  first  motions  of  lust  are  not  sinful,  and 
that  the  virtuous  actions  of  the  heathens  are  pleasing  to  God  ? 

That  we  may  not  merely  beat  the  air,  we  must  also  explain  our 
opinion,  and  therefore  the  state  ot  this  controversy ,  and  to  this  end 
observe,  (a)  that  man  as  man  depends  in  all  his  natural  actions  and 
motions  upon  God.  God  hath  indeed  given  him,  as  a  rational  and 
living  creature,  a  natural  ability  and  habit  to  do  whatever  is  human, 
but  he  is  determined  by  God's  eternal  decree,  and  hath  need  of  the 
preventing,  co-operating  and  determining  influence  of  God's  ordinary 
providence  for  each  action,  and  is  unable  to  do  aught  without  it.  See 
Isaiah  x.  15.  Acts  xvii.  28.  But  we  do  not  treat  of  this  inability 
here,  but  on  the  tenth  Lord's  day.  (b)  The  sinner,  being  guilty,  is 
unable  to  satisfy  for  himself.  Matt.  xvi.  26.  \^' e  do  not  treat  of  this 
inability  neither  here,  but  on  the  fifth  Lord's  Efay.  (c)  Moreover,  the 
di  .pute  is  not  concerning  the  state  of  integrity,  of  grace,  or  of  gloiy ; 
for  man  hath  power  in  these  conditions  to  do  that  which  is  good. 
But  the  dispute  relates  to  the  state  of  nature  and  of  sin,  after  the 
fall,  before  regeneration,  in  which  the  sinner  is  wholly  unable  to  do 
that  which  is  good,  (d)  When  we  say  that  man  is  unable  to  do  that 
which  is  good,  we  do  not  speak  then  of  natural  good,  as  eating, 
drinking,  working  ;  nor  of  civil  good,  as  honesty  and  justice  in  our 
dealings  with  others  ;  nor  of  ecclesiastical  good,  as  performing  eccle- 
siastical duties  ;  for  we  allow  that  an  unregenerate  sinner  can  do  very 
much,  in  his  endeavours  to  perform  these  good  things,  Mark  vi.  20. 
Luke  xviii.  U,  12.  But  we  speak  hereof  the  true  saving  good, 
/<  those  better  things  that  accompany  salvation,"  Heb.  vi.  9,  which 


m      THE  INABILITY  OF  THE  SINNER  TO  DO  GOOB. 

are  good  by  their  own  nature,  as  conversion,  faith,  hope  and  love 
with  respect  to  God  ;  or  that  are  indifferent  in  themselves,  neither 
good  nor  evil,  but  which   become  good  and  agreeable  to  God,  by- 
certain  good  qualifications,  to  vrit,  that  they  are  done  in  faith,  to  the 
glory  of  God,  and  according  to  his  law  :  these  qualifications  render 
all  ecclesiastical,  civil  and  natui'al  good  pleasing  to  God,  and  without 
them  the  Lord  detests  it,  Prov.  xv.  8.    See  this  demonstrated  more 
at  large  upon  the  ninety  first  question,  (e)  Inasmuch  as  we  say  that 
the  siiiner  is  unable  to  do  good,  and  our  adversaries  also  acknowledge 
that  man  is  in  some  measure  not  able,  it  therefore  behooves  us  t» 
inquire  wherein  we  differ  from  them  with  respect  to  their  inability. 
They  assert  that  the  inability  consists  only  in  the  loss  of  the  super- 
natural gift  of  God's  image,  whereby  the  sinner  is  indeed  destitute 
of  that  good,  but  is  not  wholly  corrupt,  and  is  only  as  it  were  half 
dead,  as  though  a  person  could  exist  in  an  intermediate  state,  or  be 
neither  alive  nor  dead.     They  liken  impotent  man  also  to  a  blind, 
deaf  and  dumb  person,  who  is  indeed  unable  to  see,  hear  and  speak^ 
but  nevertheless  still  desires  and  endeavours  to  be  healed  :  and  they 
gay,  that  God,  seeing  this  desire  and  endeavour,  assists  him  by  his 
grace,  which  heals  him,  when  he  only  makes  a  proper  use  of  it.  But 
we  assert  with  the  word  of  God.  (1)  that  the  inability  of  the  sinner 
to  do  good  consisteth  in  the  loss  and  v^ant  of  spiritual  life,  that ''  he 
is  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,"  Eph.  ii.  1.     He  is  separated  from 
God,  the  life  of  the  soul,  ^*  alienated  from  the  life  of  God,"  Eph.  iv. 
18,  without  either  smell  or  taste :  he  hath  no  spiritual  judgment  to 
discern  spiritual  things,  1  Cor.  li.  14.  "  Ke  calls  evil  good,  and  good 
evil,"  Isaiah  v.  20.    He  hath  no  relish  nor  delight  in  good,  Isaiah  vi. 
10,  "  evil  is  sweet  in  his  mouth,"  Job  xx.  12,    13.  Yea,  "  he  is  past 
feeling,"  Eph  iv.  10.    And  it  is  thus  not  only  with  the  Gentiles,  but 
aliso  with  the  Jews,  Rom.  iii.  9 — 18,  and  with  nominal  Christians,  to 
whom  the  gospel  is  preached  :  "  they  have  the  name  that  they  live, 
but  are  dead,"  Rev.  iii.  1.  (2)  This  inability  to  do  good  consists  not 
ijnly  in  the  loss  of  good,  but  also  in  a  willing  subjection  and  bondage 
to,  and  under  the  dominion  of  sin  and  Satan.  The  sinner  is  not  free, 
but  "  a  servant  of  sin,"  he  must  "  be  made  free,"  John  viii.  32 — 56. 
Rom.  vi.  17.  He  is  overcome  by  corruption,  and  is  thus  a  servant  of 
it,  2  Peter  ii.  19.    He  is  "  taken  captive  in  the  snare  of  the  devil," 
2  Tim.  ii.  26.    And  that  willingly  :  for  "  he  walketh  according  to 
thfe  course  of  this  world,  according  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the 
air,  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in  the  children  of  disobedience,"  Eph, 
u.  3»     This  inability  to  do  good  consists  also  in  the  natural  aversion 
gf  th^  sinppr  frcm  good,  and  in  his  natural  inclination  to  e\iKvf 


ill.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  8.    IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  9.        69 

which  he  hath  a  wonderful  delight  and  pleasure.  "  The  carnal  mind 
is  enmity  against  God  :  it  is  not  subject  to  the  la\v  of  God,  neither 
indeed  can  be,"  Rom.  viii.  7.  Yea,  the  sinner  "  hath  pleasure  in  un- 
righteousness," 2  Thess.  ii.  12,   Therefore 

The  question  and  the  state  of  this  controversy  is,  -whether  the  sin- 
ner hath  any  capacity  at  present  for  true  saving  good,  which  our 
adversaries  assert,  but  we  deny :  also  whether  he  is  wholly  incapable 
of  doing  any  good,  and  inclined  to  all  wickedness.  This  the  Pela- 
gians and  Semipelagians  deny  :  but  we  affirm,  according  to  the  word 
of  God.     For, 

1.  That  saith  expressly,  that  man  is  incapable  in  this  respect: 
•"'  When  we  were  yet  without  strength,  Christ  died  for  the  ungodly," 
saith  Paul,  Rom.  v.  6.  What  ability  or  inclination  to  do  that  which 
is  good  can  he  have,  whose  "  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God , 
for  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can  it  be," 
Rom.  viii.  7.  BeHevers  themselves  are  in  a  great  measure  unable, 
according  to  their  sinful  part :  "  they  are  ready  to  halt,"  Psalm 
xxxviii.  17.  <•  In  their  flesh  there  dweileth  no  good  thing,"  Rom. 
vii.  18.  "Of  themselves  they  are  not  sufficient  to  think  any  thing, 
as  of  themselves :  but  their  sufficiency  is  of  God,"  2  Cor.  iii  5- 
^  Without  Christ  they  can  do  nothing,"  John  xv.  5.  How  th^n  shall 
tiie  sinner,  who  is  yet  left  to  himself,  be  capable  of  doing  that  which 
is  good  ? 

2.  ^t  hath  been  shown  before  from  the  word  of  God,  that  the  sin- 
ner is  spiritually  dead,  a  slave  of  sin  and  of  Satan,  backward  to  good, 
and  inclined  to  evil ;  how  then  can  he  heartily  pursue  that  which  is 
good  ?  is  it  not  contrary  to  his  nature  ?  a  dead  man  surely  cannot 
stir :  a  slave  who  is  fast  bound  with  cords,  must  not  he  do  the  will 
of  his  lord  ?  If  he  were  not  a  willing  slave,  we  should  then  observe 
certain  virtuous  essays  in  him,  in  order  to  be  delivered  :  but  no,  he 
struggles  against  his  deliverance,  he  is  pleased  with  the  shackles  of 
his  sins.  And  can  he  then  either  desire  or  perform  any  good  thing, 
that  is  pleasing  to  God  ?  it  would  be  contrary  to  his  nature,  "  He 
counts  the  excellent  things  of  God's  law  strange,"  Hosea  viii.  12. 
He  is  like  "  a  withered  branch,  which  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself," 
John  xv-  4,  5,  6,  like  ''  a  corrupt  tree,  that  cannot  bring  forth  good 
fruit,"  Matt.  vii.  16,  17,  18,  hke  "  an  offspring  of  vipers:  how  can 
he  speak  good  things,  when  he  is  evil,  and  when  his  mouth  speaketh 
out  of  the  abundance  of  his  evil  heart,"  Matt.  xvii.  34,  35,  and, "  hke 
an  Ethiopian,  who  cannot  change  his  skin,  and  a  leopard,  who  can- 
not change  his  spots,  so  the  sinner  who  is  accustomed  to  do  evil, 
'lannot  do  good,"  Jer.  xiii.  23.    <'  He  is  hard,  his  neck  ia  an  iron 


ro      THE  INABILITY  OF  THE  SINNER  TO  DO  GOOD. 

sinew,  and  his  brow  brass,"  Isaiah  xlviii.  4.   So  immovable  is  he  :; 
what  then  can  he  do  of  himself? 

3.  The  corruption  of  the  smner  hath  taken  entire  possession  of 
iiim  :  he  is  altogether  "  flesh,"  John  iii.  3.  "  In  which  there  dwelleth 
no  good  thing,"  Rom»  >ii.  l«.  "  His  mind  is  fleshly,"  Coll.  ii.  18.  It 
is  not  only  "  darkened,"  Eph.  iv.  18.  but  *'  darkness"  itself,  Eph.  v. 
8.  *'  It  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  :  they  are  fool- 
ishness to  it,  neither  can  it  know  them,"  I  Cor.  ii-  14.    "  The  con- 
science of  the  sinner  is  also  evil,"  Heb.  x.  22.  *^  Deceitful  above  all 
things  and  desperately  wicked,"  Jer.  xvii.  9.  "  defiled,"   Titus  i.  IS, 
and  it  hath  '«  dead  works,"  Heb.  ix.  14.    The  will  is  wholly  corrupt, 
it  is  "  a  will  of  the  flesh,"  Eph.  ii.  5.  It  suggesteth  every  abomina- 
tion, as  "  evil  thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  foriaications,  thefts,  false 
witnesses,  blasphemies,"  Matt.  xv.  19.    It  rebels  against  God  ;  "  re- 
sists his  holy  bpirit,"  Acts  vii.   51.     It  pursues  after  iniquity,  and 
delights  therein,  Prov-  ii  14.     The  greedy  desire  of  the  sinner  can- 
not be  bridled,  but  is  like  a  furious  horse  ;  it  is  eat^er  and  pants  like 
insatiable  dogs  only  after  the  things  that  are  visible,  apd  that  are 
abominable,  Isaiah  Ivi.  11.  12.     Doth  any  one  endeavour  to  restrain 
it,  It  becomes  more  eager  and  vehement.  "  Sin  takes  occasion  by  the 
commandment,  and  works  all   manner  of  concupiscence"  in  man, 
Rom.  vii.  8,   and  all  his  motions  are  crooked  and  perverse,  he  is 
"  disobedient,  deceived-  serving  divers  lusts  and  pleasures,  living  in 
malice  and  envy,  &c    Titus  iii   3.  Yea,  the  whole  body,  and  all  the 
members  of  it  are  "  instruments  of  unrighteousness,  servants  of  un- 
cleanness  and  of  iniquity  to  iniquity,"  Rom.  vi.  18,  19.  "  The  eyes 
have  their  lust,"  1  John  ii.  16.  Behold  the  abomination  of  the  tongue, 
^^it  is  a  world  of  iniquity,"  James  iii.  6,  7,  8.  The  ears  are  uncir- 
cumcised  and  heavy,  they  cannot  hear,"  Jer.  vi.  10.  Matt.  xiii.  15. 
"  The  throat  is  an  open  sepulchre,  the  tongue  useth  deceit,  the  poi- 
son of  asps  is  under  the  lips,  the  mouth  is  fuU  of  cursing  and  bitter- 
ness, and  the  feet  are  swift  to  shed  blood,"   Bom.  iii.    15,  14,  15. 
How  can  such  a  disordered  creature  cither  conceive,  desire  or  do 
aught  that  is  good,  when  all  that  is  in  him  is  corrupt  ? 

4.  This  corruption  is  natural  to  man,  and  is  become  proper  t© 
him  by  his  birth  :  "  The  imaginations  of  the  thoughts  of  his  heart 
are  only  evil  continually  from  his  youth,"  Gen.  vi.  5.  viii.  21.  Sin 
cleaves  to  him  most  intimately,  defiles  and  poisons  all  the  good  that 
he  endeavours  to  do  :  «  nothing  is  pure  to  him,"  Titus  i.  15.  "  His 
sacrifice  is  an  abomination  to  the  Lord,"  Prov.  xv.  8.  Sin  is  become 
necessary  to  the  sinner,  on  accounfof  his  sinful  nature :  he  cannot, 
yea,  he  will  not  do  aught  but  »in,  Rom.  viii.  f.  What  ability;  can  hr 
then  have  to  do  th?.t  which  is  irood  ^ 


IIL  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  8.     IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  9.         n 

5.  The  sinner  must  be  regenerated,  "whereby  he  is  renewed  after 
the  image  of  God  through  the  Holy  Ghost,  of  the  seed  of  the  word, 
and  obtains  a  new  divine  light  and  life,  the  power  of  sin  is  broken  in 
him,  and  he  thus  receives  a  new  ability  to  do  the  will  of  God."  See 
Titus  iii.  5.  2  Cor.  iv.  6.  Eph.  ii.  5,  10.  Jer.  xxxi.  33,  34.  xxxii.  40. 
Ezek.  xxxvi.  26,  27.  It  will  not  be  proper  to  say  more  of  regenera- 
tion here,  for  we  have  introduced  it  only  to  explain  the  misery  and 
inability  of  man.  Must  the  sinner  be  reg^enerated,  as  Jesus  sailh, 
John  ill,  3,  5,  he  is  then,  without  regeneration,  incapable  of  doing 
good  ;  for  he  should  not  otherwise  have  need  of  it.  Regeneration 
fumisheth  him  with  new  powers,  which  would  not  be  necessary,  if 
he  had  them  before  regeneration.  The  sinner  would  also  be  able  to 
regenerate  himself,  for  regeneration  is  the  principle  of  every  good, 
that  is  acceptable  to  God  ;  but  man  cannot  effect  his  regeneration  : 
for  regeneration  is  a  "  renewing  by  the  Holy  Ghost,"  Titus  iii.  5. 
•'  a  new  creation,"  2  Cor.  v.  17.  Eph.  ii.  10,  "  a  resurrection  from  the 
dead,"  Eph.  ii.  5.  6,  "a  taking  away  the  stony  heart,  and  givinc^  an 
heart  of  flesh,"  Ezek.  xxxvi.  26,  and  ''  a  drawing,"  John  vi.  44.  Coll. 
i.  13. 

n.  The  creature,  though  ever  so  corrupt,  will  through  his  pride 
not  know  it,  will  not  see  his  abominableness,  nor  be  ashamed  of  it ; 
but  seeks  every  cloak  of  shame,  and  saith  therefore  by  the  mouth  of 
our  adversaries,  that  "  God  would  do  injustice  to  man,  if  he  required 
of  him  in  his  law,  that  which  he  could  not  perform."  The  adver- 
saries of  the  light  think  that  God  ought  to  establish  a  new  covenant 
with  the  sinner,  and  grant  him  a  sufficient  grace,  that  he  may  be 
able  to  mcline  his  will  to  keep  the  law  of  God,  before  he  requires  aught 
of  him  in  his  law.  (a)  But  this  mind  of  the  flesh  is  enmity  against 
God,  it  disputes  unrighteously  against  God's  right  with  respect  to 
man,  and  accuseth  him  falsely  of  iniquity.  For  God's  right  is  not 
founded  upon  man's  ability,  but  upon  his  own  incomparable  glory 
and  absolute  sovereignty  over  all ;  '<  For-asmuch  as  there  is  none 
like  unto  the  Lord,  therefore  he  is  great,  and  his  name  is  great  in 
might,  and  therefore  it  appertaineth  to  him  that  men  should  fear 
him,"  Jer.  x.  6,  7.  Man  could  not  deprive  him  of  that  right  by  his 
sinful  inability  ;  for  if  he  could,  he  would  be  able  by  his  sin  to  dis- 
solve his  obligation  to  obey  God,  to  set  himself  free  fiom  his  Maker, 
and  to  excuse  his  impenitent  and  obstinate  rebellion,  (b)  God  doth 
not  demand  in  his  law  of  the  impotent  sinner  that  which  is  absolute- 
ly and  always  impossible  for  him  ;  for  instance,  that  he  should  "  mea- 
sure the  waters  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  and  mete  out  the  heavens 
with  a  span,"  Sec.  Isaiah  xl.  12.     This  would  be  ion  just,  since  God 


72      THE  INABILITY  OF  THE  SINNER  TO  DO  GOOD. 

hath  not  given  him  power  to  do  it ;  but  God  demands  in  his  law  of 
the  sinner  that  which  was  once  possible  for  him,  and  for  which  he 
gave  him  an  abiHty,  when  he  created  him  after  his  imaeje  :  "  God 
made  man  capable  of  performing  it,"  saith  the  instructor.  This  hath 
been  shown  before  ;  now  God  may  surely  demand  that  of  man  with 
usury,  which  he  had  given  him,  that  he  might  gain  by  it  for  hiS 
Lord.  See  Matt.  xxiv.  19,  30.  (c)  Is  the  sinner  now  unable,  he  is 
himself  the  cause  of  it :  *'  Man  by  the  instigation  of  the  devil,  and 
his  own  wilful  disobedience,  deprived  himself  and  all  his  posterity  of 
those  divine  gifts."  It  is  not  therefore  unrighteous  in  God  to  de- 
mand of  the  waster  of  his  gifts  that  which  through  his  own  default 
he  can  now  neither  give  nor  do.  "  The  master  justly  demands  of  his 
servant  the  ten  thousand  talents,  which  he  oweth  him,  although  he 
hath  not  wherewith  to  pay,"  Matt,  xviii.  24,  25.  See  also  Luke 
xvi.   1,  2. 

It  is  not  proper  to  object  here,  that  it  was  sinful  in  man  to  deprive 
himself  of  that  gift,  even  the  image  of  God,  and  an  ability  to  do  good, 
but  that  God  deprived  him  of  it  as  a  punishment :  for  God  deprived 
him  of  it  on  account  of  his  sin,  in  order  to  punish  him,  and  man  de- 
prived himself  of  it,  because  he  deserved  such  a  punishment  by  his 
bin,  and  also  actually  defaced  and  destroyed  the  image  of  God  im 
himself  by  his  sin.  It  happens  in  other  cases,  as  well  as  in  this,  that 
a  man's  sin  is  also  a  punishment  inflicted  by  God,  who  often  punish- 
eth  one  sin  with  another,  Rom.  i.  21 — 28. 

Doth  the  instructor  say,  that  man  deprived  himself  of  those  gifts 
"•  by  his  wilful  disobedience,"  we  need  not  say  instead  of  this  by 
"his  voluntary  apostacy,"  in  order  to  gratify  the  Remonstrants; 
aeeing  Paul  calls  Adam's  sin  "  his  disobedience."  Was  it  not  suffi- 
ciently great  ?  was  it  not  committed  without  necessity  ?  had  man 
need  of  aught,  that  he  was  forced  to  eat  of  the  forbidden  tree  ?  did 
he  not  commit  that  sin  against  his  better  knowledge  ?  Eve  certainly 
knew  that  God  had  forbidden  her  to  eat  of  that  tree.  Gen.  iii.  3, 
Why  should  we  not  then  call  that  sin,  wilful  disobedience  ? 

God,  say  they,  did  not  give  Adam  power  to  believe  in  Christ,  and 
bo  he  could  not  deprive  himself  and  his  posterity  of  that  gift ;  there- 
fore God  cannot  demand  faith  in  Christ  of  the  sinner,  unless  he  give 
liim  power  to  exercise  that  faith.  But  this  is  a  vain  objection  :  for 
Adam  was  able  to  believe  all  that  God  declared  and  revealed  to  him : 
but  in^ismuch  as  the  Son  of  God  had  no  manner  of  relation  to  Adam, 
'as  Tvltdiator  and  Saviour,  before  the  fall,  and  was  therefore  not  re- 
vealed to  him  as  such,  we  may  therefore  say,  that  Adam  had  ne 
vevclaiion  nor  opportunity  to  believe  in  Christ,  but  not  that  he  had 


Iir.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  8.     IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  9.        73 

no  power  to  believe  in  him.  Our  adversaries,  not  satisfied  yet,  con- 
ceive that  it  would  not  become  God,  and  that  it  would  not  be  wise  in 
him  to  demand  of  man  that  which  he  cannot  perform,  because  it 
Would  be  to  no  purpose. 

But  although  the  sinner  be  ever  so  impotent,  God's  demand  in  his 
law  is  not  to  no  purpose  :  the  forty  fourth  Lords  day  will  inform  us 
of  what  service  the  strict  preaching  of  the  law  is  to  the  regenerate, 
although  they  cannot  keep  the  law  perfectly.  But  we  speak  here  of 
unregenerate  sinners,  who  are  either  elect  sinners,  or  reprobates. 
God's  demand  in  his  law  is  not  to  no  purpose  with  respect  to  repro- 
bates, inasmuch  as  that  demand  restrains  them  from  enormous  out- 
breakings  in  wickedness,  whicii  v.ouid  destroy  human  society,  (iod's 
demand  serves  also  to  condemn  them,  and  teach  them  to  justify  God, 
when  he  destroys  them.  God's  demand  would  appear  to  be  to  no 
purpose,  if  he  could  not  indemnify  himself  upon  them  :  but  God 
can  now  punish  them  for  the  satisfaction  of  his  justice,  according  to 
his  demand,  enforced  by  threatenings :  as  <'  the  lord  demanded  pay- 
ment of  his  servant,  who  owed  him  ten  thousand  talents  :  and  v/iien 
he  had  nothing  wherewith  to  pay,  his  lord  commanded  him  to  be 
sold,  with  his  wife  and  children  and  all  that  he  had,  and  payment  to 
be  made,"  Matt,  xviii.  24,  25.  With  regard  to  the  elect,  the  de- 
mand of  God  serves  to  convince  them,  and  drive  them  to  the  Media- 
tor, that  they  may  be  regenerated  and  converted  ;  "  For  Christ  is 
the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth,'* 
Rom.  X.  4.  Therefore  God  accompanieth  his  demand  in  the  law 
with  the  offer  and  promise  of  the  gospel,  which  is  "  the  power  of 
God  to  salvation,"  Rom,  i.  16,  yea,  also  with  his  Spirit,  John  xvi. 
8—11  1  Thess.  i.  5.  Dead  Lazarus  was  unable  to  arise  from  the 
dead,  but  the  command  of  Christ  was  not  therefore  to  no  pu'^pose, 
since  his  calling  v/ith  a  loud  voice  was  the  mean  of  raising  Lazarus 
from  the  dead,  v/hen  he  added  his  lifegiving  power  to  his  voice,  John 
xi.  41,  42,  43,  44. 

The  tolal  inability  of  the  sinner  to  do  good  doth  not  however  de- 
stroy the  freedom  of  his  will.  The  freedom  of  the  will  is  essential 
to  man,  and  belongs  to  the  essence  of  the  will,  therefore  he  cannot 
lose  his  freedom,  unless  he  also  lose  his  humanity  :  but  he  hath  by 
sin  lost  the  virtuousness  and  holiness  of  his  v/iil ;  and  hence  he  wills 
nothing  but  evil,  and  is  unable  to  will  that  which  is  good.  Our  ad- 
versaries hold  that  the  freedom  of  the  will  consists  in  indifference, 
or  an  ability  to  incline,  like  a  balance,  to  good  or  evil:  but  if  the 
freedom  of  the  will  consists  therein,  we  will  then  confess  that  the 
inability  of  the  sinner  destroys  the  freedom  of  his  will ;  for  the  vJiJ! 

O 


ri       THE  INABILITY  OF  THE  SINNER  TO  DO  GOOD. 

is  in  this  respect  a  slave,  "  a  servant  of  sin,"  and  niiust  "  be  made 
fiee,"  Jolm  viii.  3  4,  3ft.  But  the  freedom  of  the  will  consists  not  in 
indifference;  for  it  is  certain,  that  the  will  cannot  will  an^^ht,  but 
whut  the  understanding^  representeth  to  it  as  good,  and  that  Avhich 
is  represented  to  it  by  the  understanding:  as  evil,  it  cannot  embrace. 
Since  now  the  understanding  is  darkened,  and  ^*  calls  evil  erood,  and 
good  evil,"  Isaiah  v.  20,  how  can  the  will  then  be  indifferent,  and 
'desire  the  good,  as  wjli  us  t'le  evil  ?  :;od,  t'.e  angels  ;  nd  ulorified 
men  'lave  a  perfect  free  \vill,  and  yet  they  are  not  indifferent,  nor 
can  they  wiii  evil  as  well  as  good  :  but  the  freedom  of  the  will  con- 
sists in  being  able  to  will  something  with  inclination  and  pleasure,  in 
a  r^- jsonable  manner,  after  a  previous  consideration,  and  without 
constraint;  and  in  (his  manner  the  sinner  wills  evil  freely,  and  not 
good  :  *'-  ile  hath  pleasure  in  unrighttousness,"  2  Thess  ii.  12. 
Have  not  tiie  devils  a  free  will  ?  do  they  not  deli^j^ht  in  every  kind 
of  wickedness  ?  surely  they  do  :  and  they  art  siili  unable  to  do  good. 
vSee  John  viii.  44,  Free  will  consists  not  therefore  in  indifference, 
but  in  doing  something  with  inclination  and  pleasure;  and  so  it  is 
not  d;.-stroyed  by  an  inabilty  to  do  good. 

Is  man  then  like  a  stock  or  a  stone,  with  respect  to  that  which  is 
good  ?  thus  ask  our  adversaries.  We  answer  t'  at  the  dinner,  though 
Wfiolly  un.ble  to  do  good,  is  not  so  unfit  and  incapuble  of  being  con- 
verted and  regenerated  as  a  stock  or  stone  •  for  as  a  stock  or  stone 
are  wholly  incapable  of  forming  an  image  of  themselves,  and  are 
nevertheless  more  capa!.)Ie  of  being  formed  into  an  image  tlian  water, 
so  impotent  man  is  more  capable  of  being  renewed  after  the  image 
of  God,  of  being  converted  and  regenerated,  than  a  stock  or  a  stone  ; 
as  dead  Lazarus  >  as  more  capable  and  fit  to  be  raised  to  life  by  the 
voice  of  the  Saviour,  than  the  grave-stone,  John  xi.  43,  44.  The 
smner,  t'.ough  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  retai  s  still  his  natural 
powers  of  unde'-standing  and  will,  which  are  capable  of  being  endued 
witn  light  b\v\  iifc  ;  oe  hath  also  certam  remains  of  God's  image, 
(aLhough  he  hatj  lost  the  holy  and  v.rtuous  part  of  it)  and  he  hath 
tlius  also  a  ceitam  obscure  knowledge  of  (^od  and  his  law,  Rom.  i. 
Si.  ii.  14,  15,  an.l  this  renders  iiim  fit  to  be  influenced  to  con- 
version. Paul  endeavoured  to  convince  the  Athenians  by  their  natu- 
ral knowiedge  and  bcrvicc  of  Ggd,  Acts  xvii.  23—29. 


1;L  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  8.     W.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  9.         75 


APPLICATION. 

The  doctrine  of  human  inability  remnlns  then  irrefia9;able.  And 
therefore  those  do  exceedingly  ill,  wiio  say  that  man  retains  yet  in 
his  fallen  condition  an  ability  to  p.-eserve  himself  continually  from 
erroufs.  This  according  to  our  opinion  cannot  and  ought  not  to  be 
said  :  it  is  indeed  contrary  to  tlie  word  of  God,  which  saith  thai 
« the  curiud  mind  is  enmitv  against  God,"  Rom.  "viii.  7,  and  that 
*'  we  are  not  suilkient  of  ourselves,  to  think  any  thing  as  of  our- 
selves," 2  Cor.  iii.  5.  This  assertion  seems  also  to  contradict  the 
fourteenth  article  of  our  Netherland  confession,  which  saith  that, 
"  the  light  which  is  in  us  is  changed  into  darkness,"  &c.  yea,  it  is 
»ieeting  oiu  adversaries  half  way. 

The  instructor  saith  "  that  we  are  wholly  incapable  of  doing  any 
good,  and  incUned  to  all  wickedness,  except  we  be  rejjenerated  by 
the  Spirit  oi  God."  Is  the  regenerated  mim  then  perfectly  restored, 
and  hath  he  a  perfect  ability  to  do  that  which  is  good  ?  no,  but  he  is 
still  m  a  great  measure  unable,  as  Jesus  and  Paul  say,  John  vi.  5. 
2  Cor.  iii.  5.  1  his  will  also  be  s!iown  more  fully  on  the  forty  fourth 
Lord's  divy.  There  is  nevertheless  a  great  difference  between  the 
inability  of  a  regenerate,  and  an  unregenerate  man.  For  (a)  the 
Haiural  man  is  altogether  dead  in  sins,  and  must  be  made  alive,  if  he 
shall  be  capable  of  receiving  tlie  inHuence  of  God,  in  order  to  per- 
for  n  living  actions :  but  tlie  regenerate  hath  only  need  that  his 
h  .bitaal  life  should  be  awakened,  enkindled  and  pronioted  by  the  in- 
fluence of  ood  in  order  that  he  may  do  thxt  which  is  pleasing  to 
God.  (b)  A  reg--nerate  man  is  workingly  and  actively  employed 
with  and  on  account  of  the  mflucnce  of  God  in  endeavouring  *o  do 
thai  which  is  good  :  ''  He  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  strength- 
ening him,"  Philip,  iv.  13,  and  he  is  thus  himself  a  secondary  cause 
of  his  good  actions  :  but  an  unregenerate  man  is  altogether  passive 
in  receiving  the  grace  ol  regeneration  and  conversion,  as  a  dead  man, 
who  doth  not  co-operate  to  his  resurrection,  (c)  A  believer  enjoys 
always  a  greater  or  less  influence  of  divine  grace,  and  doth  good  in 
X^roportion  to  it :  ''  The  Lord  doth  not  turn  away  from  him  to  do 
him  good,  but  puts  his  fear  into  his  heart,  that  he  may  not  depart 
from  him,"  Jer.  xxxii.  40.  But  the  unregenerate  is  wholly  left  to 
himself,  and  is  without  the  influence  of  divine  grace,"  like  a  branch, 
wiiich  is  separated  from  the  vine,  and  is  withered,"  Jo:  n  xv.  6. 

What  think  ye  now,  hearers  ?  are  ye  also  so   incapable  of  doing 
gOQdj  and  incline.-!  to  all  wickedness  ?  do  ye  eee  it  experimemallf 


76      THE  INABILITY  OF  THE  SINNER  TO  DO  GOOD. 

and  with  concern  in  yourselves  ?  or  are  ye  regenerated  by  the  Spirit 
of  God  ?  have  ye  learned  your  inability  thereby,  and  hath  your  soul 
obtained  a  desire  and  a  power  to  conduct  acceptably  to  God  ?  Surely 
ye  have  not. 

1.  Who  are  indifferent  and  unconcerned,  whether  ye  must,  or  can 
do  good,  and  whether  ye  must  be  regenerated.  Your  thoughts  ex- 
tend not  so  far,  ye  think  that  ye  must  provide  for  something  else, 
even  youi  bodily  welfare,  as  if  ye  had  nothing  to  do  with  God,  and 
were  not  under  any  obUgations  to  him.  "  Ye  slide  back,  like  a  back- 
sliding heifer,"  Hosea,  iv.  1 6. 

2.  Nor  ye  neither,  who  with  *='  Herod  do  many  things,"  Mark  vi. 
20,  and  with  the  Jews  "  have  a  zeal  for  God,"  Rom.  x.  2.  But  are 
these  good  things  better  than  heathenish,  or  Socinian,  civil  and  ex= 
ternally  rehgious  virtues,  consisting  in  a  forsaking  of  evil,  and  doing 
good  externally,  without  any  chancre  or  regeneration  of  the  heart? 
things  which  do  not  accompany  salvation,  which  men  can  do  from  a 
natural  conscience,  and  by  common  grace,  like  Abimelech,  Gen, 
XX.  4,  5,  6.  But  ye  do  not  perform  them  from  a  principle  of  the 
life  of  regeneration,  nor  from  an  union  of  your  souls  v/ith  Jesus,  as 
the  true  vine :  "  to  be  dead  to  yourselves,  and  to  live  in  God  with 
Christ  is  hidden  from  you,"  Coll.  iii.  3.  If  ye  knew  this,  and  en- 
deavoured to  practise  it,  ye  would  see  experimentally  your  inability 
to  do  good,  and  your  inclination  to  all  wickedness,  and  would  be 
concerned. 

3.  And  ye  do  not  know  your  inability,  and  are  not  regenerated, 
who,  when  ye  have  once  discovered  your  duty,  and  are  convinced  of 
your  abominable  conduct,  defer  your  conversion  until  this  or  that 
opportunity,  and  so  think  that  ye  are  able  to  convert  yourselves  at 
any  time.  Or  if  ye  do  not  defer  your  conversion,  ye  are  however  not 
so  convinced  of  your  inability,  that  ye  are  concerned  ;  for  ye  are 
presently  ready  to  purpose  and  promise  idly  that  ye  will  not  com- 
mit this  vY  that  sin  any  more,  and  that  ye  will  now  live  better  lives 
than  heretofore,  which  commonly  ends  in  a  certain  outward  morality, 
or  not  even  in  that,  as  Isriel  promised  inconsiderately,  that  "what- 
soever the  Lord  had  spoken  they  would  do,"  Exod.  xix.  8.  xxiv.  3. 
But  what  became  of  their  promise  ?  they  violated  it  in  a  shameful 
manner,  when  they  made  a  molten  calf  for  themselves,  and  wor- 
shipped it,  Exod.  xxxii. 

4.  Do  ye  say,  we  know  that  we  cannot  do  any  good  of  ourselves, 
but  only  by  the  grace  of  Ciod  ?  Do  ye  then  do  all  things,  not  of 
yourselves,  but  by  the  grace  of  God  ?  or  doth  the  knowledge  of  our 
Inability,  of  regeneration,  and  doing  all  things  by  the  grace  of  God 


III.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  8.     IV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  9.        77 

consist  in  a  bare  understanding;  of  these  things,  or  in  empty  words  ? 
hath  not  the  grace  of  God  only  the  name,  and  your  natural  endeav- 
ours the  deed  ?  And  how  do  ye  know  this  ?  only  from  hearsay  ? 
Ye  do  not  then  know  your  inability,  as  ye  ought,  to  your  salvation. 
"The  Spirit  of  God  alone  conAinceth  the  world  of  sin,"  and  of  ina- 
bility, by  means  of  the  word,  John  xvi.  8.  He  causeth  a  person  to 
see  the  strength  of  his  corruption,  and  his  wicked  inclinations,  he 
teaches  him  the  spuntuality  of  the  law,  and  he  sets  him  to  work,  and 
so  he  sees  his  frequent  deviations  from  his  duty,  and  consequently 
his  mability  also  with  concern  and  grief,  and  he  cries  for  help,  iiee 
this  in  Paul,  Rom.  vii.  Have  ye  not  learned  your  inability  in  this 
manner,  ye  do  not  then  know  it  as  ye  ought,  and  your  knowledge  of 
your  misery  doth  not  yet  conduce  to  your  deliverance. 

5.  Perhaps  one  or  another  of  you  will  say,  I  see  indeed,  and  that 
experimentally,  that  I  have  no  strength ;  for  I  have  indeed  purposed 
in  my  mind  to  forsake  this  and  that  sin,  and  lead  a  better  life,  but  I 
have  learned  by  the  event  that  I  am  unable  to  accomplish  my  pur- 
pose :  but  what  effect  hath  such  a  discovery  upon  you  ?  doth  it  pro- 
duce distress  of  raind,  and  an  earnest  desire  to  be  regenerated  ?  it 
doth  not  in  many  :  but  it  renders  them  careless,  they  seek  to  excuse 
themselves  of  doing  tlieir  duty,  and  think,  if  God  do  not  grant  me 
his  grace,  how  can  I  help  it,  that  I  do  not  perform  that  which  is 
good  :  in  the  mean  while  they  do  inwardly  and  secretly  rejoice  that 
they  have  found  such  a  cloak  lor  their  shame,  and  they  indulge  their 
depravity :  and  when  they  are  exhorted  to  do  their  duty,  and  are 
reproved  on  account  of  their  sins,  they  think  or  say,  what  can  I  do, 
when  God  doth  not  give  me  what  he  commands  ?  and  so  with  oui* 
adversaries  they  accuse  God  of  "doing  them  injustice,  by  requiring 
of  them  what  they  cannot  perform,"  and  they  cry  out  with  the  Jews, 
"  If  our  transgressions  and  our  sins  be  upon  us,  and  we  pine  away 
in  them,  how  should  we  then  live  ?"  Ezek.  xxxiii.  10. 

Is  it  thus  with  you,  know  then  that  ye  are  still  under  the  broken 
covenant  of  works  :  and  therefore  the  whole  law,  and  the  curse  of  it 
are  against  you  :  tor  ye  have  done  nothing  hitherto  but  break  the 
law  by  sinning,  and  the  cur  ,e  is  denounced  against  him,  who  "  con= 
tinueth  not  in  all  things  that  the  law  commands,"  Gal-  iii.  10.  Ye 
have  yet  your  evil  nature,  which  is  "  wholly  incapable  of  doing  any 
good,  and  inclined  to  all  wickedness,"  ye  are  not  yet  "  born  again, 
and  cannot  therefore  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God,"  John  iii.  5, 
And  how  shall  ye,  continuing  thus,  be  delivered  ?  for  ye  cannot  do 
aught  else  but  sin,  ye  cannot  regenerate  yourselves,  nor  pay  your 
debt,  nor  escape  from  the  hands  of  your  Judge. 


r8      THE  INABILITY  OF  THE  SINNER  TO  DO  COOt>. 

Are  ye  in  some  measure  concerned  about  your  salvation,  behold 
then  your  desperate  misery,  be  anxious,  cry  out,  ''  there  is  no  hope,** 
Isaiah  Ivii.  10,  and  ask  with  sohcitude,  "What  shall  we  do  to  be 
saved  ?"  Acts  ii.  37.  xvi.  30,  Abide  under  tlie  niinistration  of  tliei 
gospel,  if  it  may  please  God  to  beget  you  with  the  word  of  truth," 
J..n)es  i.  18,  and  cry  unto  God  that  he  would  exert  his  power  upon 
you,  to  convert  you,  like  the  church,  Lam.  v,  20.  '^  Turn  us  O  Lord, 
unto  thee,  and  we  shall  be  turned." 

liut,  believers,  who  have  been  regenerated  b)  the  Spirit  of  God, 
and  favoured  by  the  free  grace  of  the  Lord  with  a  new  light  and 
life: 

1.  Consider  yourselves  as  obligated  to  obsu've  and  keep  al!  God's 
commandments,  and  to  be  a  praise  in  the  earth.  For  ye  are  net 
only  his  creatures,  connected  with  him  by  nature,  to  do  his  will,  but 
also  ''  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works, 
which  God  hath  before  ordained,  that  ye  should  walk  in  them,"  Ejjh* 
ii.  10.  Ye  have  the  beginnings  of  the  new  life,  new  powers,  and 
"  help  is  laid  for  you  upon  one  who  is  mighty,"  Psalm  Ixxxix.  19, 
"  and  ye  receive  of  his  fvdnebs,  and  grace  for  grace,"  John  i.  16, 
Are  ye  still  subject  to  a  great  impotency,  as  well  as  to  other  corrup- 
tions, this  doth  not  discii  rge  you  from  your  duty  :  but  the  Lord  re- 
veals this  to  you,  not  to  discharge  you  from  your  duty,  but  that  he 
may  induce  you  to  depend  on  nim  and  his  power,  to  strengthen 
yourselves  in  him,  that  "  his  power  may  be  perfected  in  your  weak- 
ness," and  that  ye  may  thus  ''-  be  strong,  when  ye  are  weak,"  2  Core 
xii.  9,  10. 

2.  Beuare  that  ye  never  begin,  nor  endeavour  to  perform  your, 
duty  in  your  own  strength.  The  regenerate  often  act  in  this  manner, 
and  particularly  (a)  when  they  set  about  a  dut\ ,  which  tV.ey  judge  to 
be  necessary,  rashly,  with  might  and  main,  witliout  serious  considera- 
tion, and  without  humbly  looking  up  to  the  Lord  for  his  influence. 
(b)  V^'hen  they  expect  so  much  good  from  their  own  resolutions : 
they  have  a  great  desire  to  do  the  will  oF  God  in  all  things,  and  they 
measure  their  ability  by  tl-.eir  desire,  thcr.°fore  they  form  great  reso- 
lutions, and  they  are  confident  that  they  will  accomplish  those  reso- 
lutions ;  but  they  are  ashamed  of  the  event :  for  God  willing  to  ac- 
quaint them  with  themselves,  suffers  them  to  fall  iiAo  grievous  sins. 
See  this  in  Peter,  Matt,  xxvi  33,  34,  35.  xxvii.  69—75.  (c)  Then 
also,  when  they  endeavour  to  eft'ect,  and  to  force  themselves  into  a 
good  frame  by  their  natural  meditations,  by  their  elTorts  in  their 
own  strength,  and  their  bodily  exertions,  (d)  They  work  also  in 
their  own  strength,  when  they  endeavour  to  woik  above  their  st-at^. 


til  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  8.     tV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  9,         79 

to  wit,  when  a  child  attempts  to  do  the  work  of  a  young  man,  or  of 
n  father  in  Christ.  He  sees  with  how  much  assurance,  light  purity, 
holiness  and  strength,  this  and  the  other  advanced  Christian  works, 
and  he  hath  a  mind  to  do  the  same  after  him ;  but  he  doth  not  suc- 
ceed, It  is  above  the  power,  and  beyond  the  attainment  of  a  child, 
(d)  \lso  w-icn  they  work  above  their  frame.  We  are  sometimes 
in  a  dark  and  in  a  dull  frame,  and  far  from  the  Lord  :  but  if  we  will 
do  our  duly  then  in  such  a  clear,  lively  and  hearty  manner,  as  when 
we  are  in  the  licfbt,  and  enlivened,  and  near  to  God,  we  go  in  our 
Own  might,  and  not  "  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord  God,"  Psalm  Ixxi. 
16  (f)  Once  more,  we  work  in  our  own  strength,  when  we  become 
fretful  and  are  discouraged,  because  we  have  not  done  our  duty  as 
we  wished  and  'loped  to  t'o  it,  we  show  by  this  conduct  that  we  look- 
ed for  much  good  from  our  own  exertions  :  whereas  whatever  we 
do  but  sin,  we  do  only  by  the  free  grace  of  God. 

The  Christian,  we  say,  ought  to  beware  of  working  in  his  own 
strength  :  he  cannot  of  himself  do  aught  that  is  pleasing  to  God  ; 
**  Not  by  miglit  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of 
hosts,"  Zech.  iv.  6.  Works  done  in  our  own  strength  are  strav  ge 
fire,  and  they  will  exceedingly  darken,  perplex  and  disturb  the  soul. 

3.  Learn  by  all  means  to  perform  your  duty  in  a  manner  that  is 
'suitable  to  your  state  and  frame.  By  a  state  we  must  understand 
that  measure  of  advancement  in  the  spiritual  life,  vvhich  one  hath 
above  another.  One  is  a  child,  and  another  is  a  youth  and  a  man  in 
Christ,  according  to  1  John  ii.  12,  13,  14.  A  child  hath  not  that 
steadfast  assurance  ot  the  love  of  God,  which  a  jouth  and  a  man 
have.  A  youth  and  a  man  are  more  intent  upon  a  knowledge  of 
<Uvine  mysteries,  that  they  may  govern  themselves  wisely,  and  ac- 
cording to  the  word  of  God  in  all  their  conversation,  and  a  child  is 
more  taken  with  pleasant  and  a5;reeable  feelings,  and  delightful  ex- 
periences of  grace.  A  youth  and  a  man  pursue  holiness  more,  and 
more  singly  and  steadfastly  than  a  child,  who  is  chiefly  intent  upon 
assurance  and  comfort.  A  youth  and  a  man  are  more  workingly 
and  actively  engaged  in  their  pious  exercises,  but  a  child  is  more 
passively,  and  looks  out  only  for  immediate  influences. 

A  person  ought  to  be  active  in  his  holy  ex-rcises  in  proportion  to 
his  advancement  in  his  state,  that  he  may  not  by  exerting  himself 
above  his  ability,  fatigue  himself  too  much,  and  overweary  himself: 
«  as  the  man  is,  so  is  his  strength,"  Judges  viii.  21.  "  Whereto  we 
have  already  attained,  let  us  walk  by  the  same  rule,"  Philip,  iii.  16. 

By  a  frame  we  understand  that  particular  situation  and  disposition 
•f  mind,  whereby  a  Christian  is  one  while  in  darkness,  and  another 


BO      THE  INABILITY  OF  THE  SINNER  TO  DO  GOOD. 

while  in  the  light,  one  while  dull  and  another  lively,  one  \vhile  sor- 
rowtiil  and  another  joyful.  When  a  Christian  is  in  darkness,  when 
he  IS  (lull  and  sorrowful,  he  cannot  work  as  he  can,  when  he  is  in 
tlie  light,  when  he  is  lively,  and  wheH  he  rejoiceth,  or  he  will  over- 
work and  fatigue  Iiimself  to  no  purpose.  If  he*>hall  then  work  ac- 
cording to  his  ability,  he  must  observe  and  inquire  where,  and  in 
what  manner  God  wotketh  in  him  ;  say  not,  when  I  am  barren,  dark, 
dull  and  sor  owful,  the  Lord  doth  not  then  work  in  me,  and  I  can- 
not then  effect  any  thin'.i: :  for  in  whatsoever  evil  frame  the  soul  may 
be,  the  i  ord  doth  still  work  in  her  in  one  way  or  another;  for  "the 
Spirit  iibideth  in  and  with  you  for  ever,"  John  xiv.  16.  And  he  is 
ttever  mactive  in  you.  When  the  mind  is  in  an  evil  frame,  we  see 
it  with  more  or  less  compunction,  and  this  proceeds  from  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  couvinceth  of  sins.  We  ought  to  begin  our  work  here 
by  looking  into  our  sinful  frame,  which  would  excite  in  us  shame 
and  sorrow,  would  cause  us  to  inhale  the  influence  of  "  the  north 
and  south  wind"  of  the  Spirit,  Song  iv.  16,  and  in  all  our  exercises 
'^  run  after  the  Lord,  when  he  draweth"  us.  Song  i.  4. 

4.  Stir  lip  the  divine  gift  of  regeneration,  "  which  is  in  you,"  2 
Tim.  i  6,  that  it  may  mcrease,  be  improved  and  confirmed  in  you  ; 
we  must  "  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,"  according  to  2  Peter  iii.  18,  and  we  must  "be 
strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  his  might,"  Eph.  vi.  10. 
Ttierefore  abide  under  the  dispensation  of  the  means  of  grace,  for 
they  are  the  nourishment  of  our  spiritual  life  :  As  newborn  babes 
desire  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  that  ye  may  grow  thereby,"  1 
Peter  ii.  2.  Converse  much  with  the  most  zealous  and  lively  of  the 
godly  :  "  He  that  walketh  with  wise  men  shall  be  wise,"  saith  the 
wisest  of  kings,  Prov.  xiii.  30,  and  "  iron  sharpcneth  iron  :  so  a  man 
sharpcMieth  tiie  countenance  of  his  friend,"  Prov,  xxvii.  17.  When 
we  observe  our  neigl. hour's  improvement  in  wisdom,  his  weaned- 
ntss  from  the  world,  his  heavenly-mindeilness  and  zealousness  in 
that  which  is  good,  wc  are  then  scizt^d  with  a  holy  emulation  to  imi- 
tate his  noble  example,  as  "the  zeal  of  the  Corinthians  provoked 
very  many,"  2  Cor.  ix.  2.  Engage  also  much  m  acts  of  communion 
with  God  :  "  Acqu  int  now  youi'selves  with  him,  and  be  at  peace  ' 
thereby  ti:ood  shall  come  unto  you,"  Job  xxii.  21.  Yea,  stir  up  your- 
selves daily,  "  lift  up  your  hearts  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord,"  with 
Je!\osbaphat  2  Chron.  xvii.  6.  lnduk:e  not  any  manner  of  slackness, 
looking  dili'^eiuly,  lest  any  mm  fail  of  tie  grace  of  God,"  Heb.  xii. 
15.  Are  yt  sometimes  seized  wiil»  spiritual  bluttgishness  and  drowsi- 
ness, like  the  spouse,  Song  v.  2,   3,  do  not  nourish  it,  but  rouse. 


III.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q-  8.     IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  9.        81 

bestir  yourselves,  and  "  lift  up  the  hands  which  hang  down,  and  the 
feeble  knees,  and  make  straight  path    for  your  teet,"  8cc.  Heb.  xii. 
12,  13,  14o     Look  up  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  "who  is  become  all  things 
to  you,  yea,  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemption," 
Coll.  iii.    11-  I  Cor.  i.  30.     Go  to  him,  open  your  hearts  to  him. 
employ  your  faith,  that  it  may  "  receive"  of  all  his  influences,  and 
♦'  grace  for  -race  of  his  fulness,"  John  i.   16,  and  seek  through  the 
conduits  of  the  promises ;  yea,  let  your  operative  faith  employ  him, 
and  improve  him  with  respect  to   his  office,  in  order  to  live  by  him 
and  by  his  power,  like  Paul,  who  saith,"  I  am  crucified  with  Christ ; 
and  I  live  ;  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me :  and  the  life  which  I 
now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  fuith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved 
me,  and  gave  himself  for  me,"  Gal.  ii.  20.    We  must  enter  into  the 
strictest  union  with  him,  if  we  will  perform  aught  that  is  acceptable 
to  God :  "  I  am   the  vine,"  saith  he,   John  xv.   5.  "  and  ye  are  the 
branches  :  he  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth 
forth   much  fruit:  £;r  without   ine   ye  can  do  nothing."     In  every 
condition  wait  for  the  inbreathings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  conduct 
according  to  it,  like  the  apostles,  who  being  "  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  spake  as  the  Spirit  gave  tliem  utterance,"  Acts  ii.  4.     And 
therefore  turn  the  sails  of  your  understanding  and  will  toward  him 
with  hearty  desires,  sighings  and  prayers,  and  catch  tlie  wind  of  his 
grace,  that  it  may  drive  you  on  with  a  full  gale  in  all  your  exercises, 
like  "  Jesus,  who  returned  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  unto  Galilee,** 
Luke  iv.  U. 

5.  Are  ye  regenerated,  behold  your  happiness  and  salvation.  "  Ye 
who  were  dead,  have  been  made  alive,  are  risen  with  Christ,  and  set 
with  him  in  heavenly  places,"  Eph.  ii.  5,  6.  Give  him  also  the 
honour  of  it :  "  he  hath  formed  you,  that  ye  should  show  forth  his 
praise,"  Isaiah  xliii.  21.  "Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  saith  Peter  'who  according  to  liis  great  mercy 
hath  begotten  us  again  unto  a  lively  hope,"  1  Peter  i.  3.  "  Is  it  given 
you  to  grow  in  the  courts  of  our  God,  to  be  fat  and  flourishing  in 
old  age,  it  is  that  ye  may  show  that  the  Lord  is  upright,"  Psalm 
xcii.  13 — 16.  Have  ye  the  power  and  the  ability  to  perform  any 
good  work,  "  do  not  say  in  your  heart,  My  strength  and  the  might 
of  my  hand  hath  gotten  me  tiiis  power:  but  ye  shall  remember  the 
Lord  your  God  ;  for  it  is  he  that  giveth  you  power,"  Dent.  viii.  17, 
18.  "  For  who  maketh  thee  to  differ  from  another  ?  and  what  hast 
thou  that  thou  didst  not  receive  ?  now  if  thou  didst  receive  it,  why 
dost  thou  glory,  as  if  thou  hadst  not  received  it  ?"  I  Cor.  iv.  7.  "  I 
have  laboured  more  abundantly  than  they  all :  vet  not  I,  but  the  grace 

P 


82      THE  INABILITY  OF  THE  SINNER  TO  DO  GOOD. 

of  God,  which  was  with  me,"  saith  Paul,  1  Cor.  xv.  10.  Whatever 
ye  have,  bring  it  to  the  source  from  which  it  hatii  flowed  to  you, 
like  Dai/ id,  who  considered  his  own,  and  his  people's  wilHngness  to 
contribute  abundantly  for  the  building  of  the  temple,  as  wrought  in 
thera  by  lh«  i^^ord,  and  glorified  the  Lord  on  account  of  it,  saying, 
1  Chron.  xxix.  14.  "  V^' ho  am  I,  and  what  is  my  people,  that  we 
should  be  able  to  offer  so  willingly  after  this  sort  ?  for  all  things  come 
of  thee,  and  of  thine  own  have  wc  given  thee." 

Doth  it  afflict  you,  that  there  remains  so  great  a  force,  and  often 
such  an  overbearing  power  of  corruption  in  you,  '•  sin  shall  neveithe- 
less  not  have  dominion  over  you  ;  for  ye  are  not  under  the  law,  but 
under  grace,"  Rom.  vi.  1 4.  Doth  it  grieve  you,  that  ye  have  so 
little  strength  to  walk  m  a  manner,  that  is  acceptable  to  God,  remem- 
ber that  ye  have  to  do  with  a  most  gracious  Lord,  who  accepteth  of 
our  sincere  endeavours  ;  "  For  if  there  be  first  a  willing  mind,  it  is 
accepted  according  to  what  a  man  hath,  and  not  according  to  what 
he  hath  not,"  2  Cor,  viii,  12.  Your  God,  who  hath  given  you  the 
life  of  regeneration,  and  "  hath  begun  the  good  work  in  you,  will 
perform  it,  until  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ,"  Philip,  i.  6,  "  and  he  will 
fulfil  all  the  good  pleasure  of  his  goodness,  and  the  work  of  faith 
with  power  ;  that  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  may  be  glori- 
fied in  you,  and  ye  in  him,  according  to  the  grace  of  our  God,  and 
the  LiOrd  Jesus  Christ,"  2  Thess.  i.  1 1,  12.  He  will  waft  your  souls 
on  by  his  power,  until  he  shall  bring  them  to  those  regions,  where 
no  sin,  nor  any  inclination  to  iniquity  shall  be  found,  and  where  ye 
shall  with  perfect  ability  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth. 
How  "  blessed  is  the  man,  whose  strength  is  in  God,  in  whose  heart 
are  the  ways  of  them,  who  passing  through  the  valley  of  Baca  make 
it  a  well :  the  rain  also  filleth  the  pools.  They  go  from  strength  to 
strength  :  every  one  of  them  in  Zion  appeareth  before  God."  Amen- 


(  83  ) 


THE 


P  LM\T  I  S  H  M  E  N  T    OF    SI  N. 


SEQUEL  OF  THE  IV.  LORD'S  DAY, 


Romans  i.  18.  •  The  wrath  of  God  is  revealed  from  heaven  against 
all  ungodliness,  and  unripjhteousness  of  men. 

Q.  10.  Will  God  sjiffer  such  disolKdienct  and  rebellion  to  go  un- 
punished  ? 

.  A.  By  no  means  ;  but  is  terribly  displeased  with  our  original  as 
well  as  actual  sins;  and  will  punish  them  in  his  just  judgment, 
temporally  and  eternally,  as  he  hath  declared,  *'  Cursed  is  every  one 
that  continueth  not  in  all  things,  which  are  written  in  the  book  of 
the  law  to  do  them," 

Q.  11.  lis  not  God  then  also  tnerafidf 

A.  God  is  indeed  merciful,  but  also  just ;  therefore  his  justice  re- 
quires, that  sin,  which  is  committed  against  the  most  high  majesty 
of  God,  be  also  punished  with  extreme,  that  is,  with  everlasting  pun- 
ishment, both  of  body  and  souL 


T, 


HINE  own  wickedness  shall  correct  thee,  and  thy  backslid- 
ings  shall  reprove  thee :  know  therefore  and  see,  that  it  is  an  evil 
thing  and  bitter,  that  thou  hast  forsaken  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  that 
my  fear  is  not  in  thee,  saith  the  Lord  God  of  hosts,"  Jer,  ii.  19, 
The  sinner  delights  and  rejoices  in  the  evil  of  sin,  as  though  it  were 
exceedingly  good  and  pleasant :  for  "  he  calls  good  evil,  and  evil 
good,"  Isaiah  v.  20.  "  His  taste  is  corrupt,  and  therefore  evil  is 
sweet  in  his  mouth :  he  spares  it,  and  forsakes  it  not ;  but  keeps  it 
still  within  his  mouth."  Yet  hoAv  bitter  will  it  prove  to  him  !  "  His 
meat  in  his  bowels  shall  be  turned,  it  shall  be  the  gall  of  asps  within 
bim,"  Job  XX.  12,  13,  14.  Sin  is  in  itself  exceedingly  evil  and  bitter: 


84  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  SIN. 

for  thereby  we  forsake  the  Lord,  the  rock  of  salvation  :  we  deny  hit. 
holiness,  righteousness,  and  supreme  authority,  we  "  stretch  out  our 
hands  against  God,  and  strengthen  ourselves  against  the  xMmighty  : 
we  run  upon  him,  even  on  his  neck,  upon  the  thick  bosses  of  his 
buckler,"  as  Eliphas  speaks,  Job  xv.  25,  26.  Godly  persons,  seeing 
their  sins,  and  th^  abominable  disposition  of  their  mind  are  exceed- 
ingly sorry  for  their  sms,  the  abominable  nature  of  sin,  more  than 
the  punishment  of  it,  causeth  them  M'ith  Job  to  "  abhor  themselves, 
and  to  repent  in  dust  and  ashes."  But  that  which  renders  sin,  so 
exceedingly  evil  and  bitter  in  itself,  still  more  evil  and  bitter,  is  the 
evil  consequence  of  it :  for  sin  not  only  blinds  a  person,  renders  him 
a  slave  of  himself,  averse  from  God,  and  unable  to  do  good  ;  but  it 
renders  him  also  guilty,  and  subjects  him  to  the  most  bitter  punish- 
ment. "  Thy  way,"  saith  the  Lord  to  Judah,  who  had  been  so 
severely  punished,  Jer.  iv.  18,  '<  and  thy  doin8:s  have  procured  these 
things  unto  thee,  this  is  thy  wickedness,  because  it  is  bitter,  because 
it  reacheth  unto  thy  heart."  God  requireth  that  the  sinner  should 
*«know  and  see  this,"  that  he  may  lay  it  to  heart,  Jer.  ii.  19.  Where- 
fore? will  the  Lord  torment  him  before  the  time?  No,  but  he  chooseth 
that  the  sinner  should  humble  himself,  should  look  out  for  deliver- 
ance, and  become  capable  of  it.  The  Lord  God  would  "remember 
his  cov'-nant"  for  the  salvation  of  his  people,  v/ho  had  Ijeen  griev- 
ously punislied,"  if  their  uncircumcised  hearts  sliould  be  humbled, 
and  they  should  accept  of  the  punishment  of  their  iniquity,"  Lev, 
xxvi.  41,  42.  Behold  how  the  rod  of  God's  chastisement  humbled 
Ephraim,  and  conduced  to  his  deliverance,  Jer.  xxxi.  19,  20. 

This  is  the  design  of  our  instructor,  when  he  teacheth  the  sinner 
the  knowledge  of  his  misery,  as  the  first  mean  of  obtaining  deliver- 
ance. Question  2,  for  which  purpose  he  shows  him  in  the  first  place 
•whence  he  must  learn  to  know  his  misery,  Question  3,  4,  and  then 
wherein  it  consists,  namely  (a)  in  sin,  the  abominable  nature  and 
cause  of  which  are  shown,  Question  5,  6,  7.  (b)  In  the  evil  conse- 
quences of  it,  as  an  inability  to  do  good.  Question  8,  9,  and  the 
grievous  punishment  which  God  inflicts  upon  the  sinner.  Question 
10,  11.  We  have  seen  formerly,  to  wit.  Question  6,  7,  in  what 
manner  the  sin  of  Adam  is  punished  ;  we  must  now  attend  to  the 
manner  in  which  God  is  displeased  with  sins  in  general. 

The  instructor  doth  two  things  here  : 

I.  He  declares  the  punishment  of  sin,  Question  10. 
,    II.  He  refutes  an  argument  against  the  punishment  of  sin,  Ques- 
tion 11. 

I,  The  deserving  cause  of  the  evil  of  punishment  is  the  evil  of  sin 


IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  10,  1 1.  &5 

for  "  God  is  displeased  both  with  our  original  and  actual  sins»"  Ori- 
ginal sin  is  that  which  we  have  inherited  by  our  birth,  and  hath  been 
exhibited  in  the  foregoing  7th  question.  Actual  sin  is  that  which 
we  ourselves  commit  and  act  in  thought,  word  and  deed,  by  omitting 
to  do  that  which  is  commanded  us,  and  by  doing  that  which  is  for= 
bidden  us,  whether  against  the  first  or  second  table  of  the  law,  with 
respect  to  God,  ourselves,  and  our  neighbour.  These  several  sins 
are  either  reigning  in  the  unregenerate,  who  are  willing  slaves  of 
sin  :  *'  Whosoever  committeth  sin  is  the  servant  of  sin,"  John  viH. 

3,  4,  or  sins  which  do  not  reign,  to  wit,  in  the  regenerate,  who  are 
often  "  brought  into  captivity  to  the  law  of  sin,  which  is  in  their 
members,"  contrary  to  their  will  and  inclination,  by  the  power  of 
corruption,  Rom.  vii.  23.  Every  sin  deserves  death  by  its  own  nature  : 
"  The  wages  of  sin  is  death,"  saith  Paul,  Rom.  vi.  23.  And  there- 
fore  the  Papists  contradict  the  word  of  God,  when  they  distinguish 
sins  into  venial,  wliich  do  not  deserve  death,  and  mortal,  which  de- 
serve death  by  their  abominable  nature  more  than  other  sins.  One 
sin  is  indeed  greater,  and  is  punished  with  greater  severity  than 
another.  See  John  xix.  11.  Matt.  xi.  21 — 24  but  the  least  sin  de- 
serves death,  inasmuch  as  it  is  committed  asjainst  the  most  high 
majesty  of  God,  and  against  his  law,  which  threatens  the  trans- 
gressor with  death.  John  speaks  indeed  of  "  a  sin  unto  death,  and 
of  a  sin,  which  is  not  unto  death,"  1  John  v.  16,  17,  but  a  sin  which 
is  not  tinto  death,  doth  not  mean  a  sm  which  by  its  own  nature  doth 
not  deserve  death,  and  is  pardonable,  but  only  a  sin  which  God  doth 
not  punish  with  death  in  all  who  are  guilty  of  it,  and  of  which  many 
obtain  forgiveness,  >•  hich  cannot  be  said  of  the  sin  unto  death,  since 
that  is  the  unpardonable  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  "  whereby  a 
person  maliciously  rejects  and  opposes,  without  a  powerful  tempta- 
tion of  endangering  his  life,  or  other  temptations  of  such  a  nature, 
the  truth  of  tlie  gospel,  which  is  according  to  godliness,  of  which  he 
hath  been  assured  by  an  inward  enlightening  and  conviction  of  the 
Holy  Spirit."     See  concerning  this  sin,  Matt.  xii.  31,  32.   Heb.  vi. 

4,  5,  C.  x  26 — 29.  Because  this  sin  is  unpardonable,  therefore  John 
calls  it  "  a  sin  unto  death,  for  which  a  person  may  not  pray,  and 
which  thejfcwho  are  bom  of  God  cannot  commit,"  1  John  v.  16,  17, 
1 8.  God  could  indeed  forgive  that  sin,  but  it  doth  not  please  him 
to  forgive  it,  because  it  obstinately,  and  with  a  final  and  persevering 
impenitence,  rejects  the  conviction  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  so  the 
last  mean  of  conversion  :  "  For  it  is  impossible  for  those  who  were 
once  enhghtened,  &c.  if  they  shall  fall  away,  to  renew  them  again 
unto  repentance,"  Heb,  vi,  4,  5,  6, 


86  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  SIN. 

God  inflicts  punishment  on  account  of  all  these  sins  in  his  displease 
ure,  or  anger.  Anger  in  man  is  a  vehement  and  vexaiious  peitur^ 
bation  of  nis  mind,  whereby  he  is  urgtd  to  avenge  hi'x.seli  of  his 
neighbour,  on  account  of  some  real,  or  supposed  injui'y  doiic  to  him. 
Bui  the  i-ord  God  being  simple,  independent,  and  uhchangeabiy  an4 
perfectly  happy,  cannot  suffer  such  a  painful  agitation  of  mind. 
When  nevertheless  anger  is  ascribed  to  him,  ''.ve  must  understand  it 
in  a  sense  which  is  worthy  of  him,  and  by  way  of  analogy,  agreeably 
to  his  word,  which  designs  by  the  anger  of  God,  (a)  his  holy  aver- 
sion and  dislike  to  the  sinner  and  his  sin,  by  which  he  is  injured  in 
the  highest  degree  ;  as  a  man,  who  is  angry,  is  averse  from  the  per- 
son, who  hath  injured  him.  And  so  it  is  said  of  God,  that  "  he  is 
of  purer  eyes  than  to  behold  evil,  and  that  he  cannot  look  upoi^ 
iniquity,"  Kab.  i.  13.  "  Jesus  looked  round  about  upon  the  Jews  with 
anger,  being  grieved  for  the  hardness  of  their  hearts,"  Mark  iii.  5» 
Therefore  the  anger  of  God  is  called  also,  after  the  manner  of  men, 
"  the  grief  of  his  heart,"  Gen.  vi.  6.  Isaiah  Ixiii.  10,  "  his  hatred,'*- 
Psalm  V.  5,  6,  and  "  his  vexation,"  Psalm  xcv.  10.  (b)  His  holy  and 
righteous  will  and  purpose  to  punish  the  sinner.  "  God  will  punish 
sin,"  saith  the  instructor,  in  order  to  explain  tlie  anger  of  God.  ''  He 
that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life  ;  but  the  wrath  of  God 
abideth  on  him."  John  iii.  56.  That  is,  the  will  of  God  to  punish 
him  in  due  time,  although  his  long  suffering  spare  him  yet.  'I'here- 
fore  the  anger  of  Gud  is  also  called  "  his  desire,"  Hosea  x.  10.  (c) 
Finally,  the  anger  of  God  denotes  also  the  punishments  and  judg= 
ments,  which  he  inflicts  on  the  sinner,  \ipon  account  of  his  sins  : 
''  The  wrath  of  God  is  revealed  from  heaven  against  all  ungodHness 
and  unrighteousness  of  men,"  saith  our  text.  See  this  signification 
also,  iVlatt.  iii.  7.  Rom.  iii.  5.  Thus  the  catechism  also  explains  the 
anger  of  God  by  "  his  just  judgment,  by  which  he  punisheth  sins 
temporally  and  eternally."  Since  now  God,  when  he  punisheth, 
takes  vengeance  of  sin,  obtains  satisfaction,  and  glorifies  his  hohness, 
justice  and  power,  therefore  he  is  said  "  to  rejoice,"  Deut.  xxviii. 
63,  "to  comfort  hmiselt,"  Isaiah  i.  24,  and  *' to  be  refreshed,'* 
Amos  v.  9,  when  he  punishes  sin. 

"God  punishes  sin  then  by  his  just  judgment,  temporally  and 
eternally."  Temporally  in  this  life,  both  with  bodily  and  spiritual 
plagues.  Bodily  punishments  are  all  that  is  shameful,  hurtful,  and 
painful  to  the  sinner.  "  God  pouretli  contempt  upon  him,  even  upon 
princes,"  Psalm  cvii.  40,  which  is  the  most  intolerable  evil,  that  can 
befall  the  proud  sinner:  Saul  and  Ahithophel  slew  themselves,  because 
they  could  not  endure  contempt,  I  Sam   xxxi.  4,  5.  2  Sam.  xviii.  2f?- 


IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  10,  1 1.  8f 

The  Lord  plagues  the  transgressor  also  sometimes  with  poverty  : 
"  he  becomes  as  a  moth  and  rottenness  unto  him,"  Hosea  \\  12,  and 
"  curses  hi.s  blessings,"  Mai.  ii  2,  so  ti.at  the  sinner  must  cry  out 
with  distress,  "  What  shall  I  eat  ?  what  shall  1  drink  ?  and  where- 
witnal  shall  I  be  clothed?"  Matt.  vi.  25.  And  as  if  thisvWere  not 
grievous  enough,  "  God  distributeth  sorrows  to  him  in  his  anger," 
Job  xxi.  17.  "  He  is  also  chastened  with  pain  upon  his  bed,  and  the 
multitude  of  his  bones  with  strong  pain  :  so  that  his  life  abhorreth 
bread,  and  his  soul  dainty  meat.  His  flesh  is  consumed  away,  that 
it  cannot  be  seen,  and  his  bones  that  were  not  seen  stick  out.  Yea, 
his  soul  draweth  near  unto  the  grave,  and  his  life  to  the  destroyers," 
Job  xxxiii.  19 — 22.  God  visits  the  sinner  with  fevers,  consumptions, 
pestilence,  biles,  wounds,  and  other  plagues  of  that  kind,  which 
"  bring  him  to  the  king  of  terrours,  drive  him  out  of  light  into  dark- 
ness, and  chase  him  out  of  the  world,"  Job  xviii.  14,  18.  He  is 
attacked  wnthall  these  evil  plagues  immediately  by  God  himself,  and 
by  his  evil  enemies  in  his  own  person,  in  his  household,  and  in  the 
land  in  which  he  dwells.  See  how  all  this  and  still  more  is  threaten- 
ed, Lev.  xxvi.  and  Dent,  xxviii. 

But  man  sins  chiefly  with  his  soul,  and  therefore  his  soul  also  is 
attacked  with  the  most  grievous  spiritual  judgments,  (a)  God  smites 
the  soul  with  blindness  and  darkness  of  understanding.  Man  is  by 
nature  spiritually  blind :  nevertheless  he  hath  still  some  natural 
knowledge  of  divine  things  ;  but  even  "that  which  he  still  hath  is 
justly  taken  away  from  him,"  Matt.  xiii.  12.  "  His  foolish  heart  is 
still  more  darkened,"  Rom.  ii  21,  and  so  he  deceives  himself:  "  he 
saith,  I  am  rich,  and  increased  in  goods,  rnd  he  knows  not  that  he 
is  wretched  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked,"  Rev. 
iii.  17.  God,  in  whom  he  hath  the  greatest  concern,  is  hidden  from 
him  :  "  the  gospel  of  salvation  is  hidden  from  him,"  2  Cor.  iv.  3, 
and  "  God  sends  him  a  strong  delusion,  so  that  he  believes  a  lie  ;" 
2  Thess  ii.  11.  (b)  To  this  is  added  hardness  of  heart,  so  that  he 
becomes  hke  a  stone,  insensible  and  impenitent.  Before  this  he 
could  sometimes  relent  on  account  of  his  sins,  and  be  afraid  of  des- 
truction ;  but  God,  being  greatly  displeased  with  him,  suffers  "  his 
heart  to  wax  gross,  makes  his  ears  heavy,  and  shuts  his  eyes,  lest  he 
should  see  with  his  eyes,  and  hear  with  his  ears,  and  understand  with 
his  heart,  and  be  converted  and  healed,"  Isaiah  vi.  9,  10.  (c)  God 
also  abandons  him  to  the  thraldom  of  his  sins,  so  that  "  his  own  ini- 
quities take  him,  and  he  is  holden  with  the  cords  of  his  sins,"  Rev. 
V.  22.  Yea,  the  Lord  lets  his  lusts  loose  on  him,  which  seize  him 
and  drive  him  forward,  and  so  he  is  given  over  to  a  reprobate  mind, 


AS  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  SIN. 

to  do  those  things  which  ar«  not  convenient,"  Rom.  i.  28.  (d)  He  is 
also  punished  by  God  with  the  overlording  of  Satan.  ''  The  God  of 
this  world  blinds  his  mind,  that  the  light  of  the  gospel  may  not  shine 
unto  him,"  2  Cor.  iv.  4.  That  potent  ruler  drives  him  from  sin  to 
sin,  "  he  v,^orks  in  the  children  of  disobedience,"  Eph.  ii.  2,  3,  and 
^*  takes  them  captive  in  his  snare  at  his  will,"  2  Tim.  ii.  26.  Yea,  he 
will  sometimes  •' terrify"  them,  as  he  did  Saul,  1  Sam  xvi.  14.  (e) 
God  s  spiritual  judgment  sometimes  proceeds  so  far  with  the  sinner, 
that  he  gives  him  up  to  a  restless  conscience,  which  torments  him 
contLUually.  Ihat  will  upbraid  him  continually  with  his  improper 
conduct,  will  present  God  to  him  with  teriour,  as  a  righteous  judge, 
and  will  even  in  laughter  afflict  his  heart  with  sorrow  ;  and  that 
gnawmg  worm  will  cause  him  to  choose  with  Judas  even  strangling. 
Matt,  xxvii.  5. 

But  what  danger  would  there  be,  if  the  sinner  were  punished  only 
in  this  life,  his  end  draws  near,  and  after  death  he  will  not  suffer  any 
more  :  but  that  which  must  cause  him  to  cry  out  for  grief  of  heart 
is,  that  God  will  plague  him  for  ever  with  '*  the  punishmtnt  of  ever- 
lasting fire,"  Jude  vrs.  7,  and  with  "  the  damnation  of  hell,"  Matt, 
xxiii.  33.  By  which,  (1)  he  will  be  depi'ived  of  all  that  was  honoura- 
ble, pleasant  and  profitable  to  him  in  this  life,  and  that  did  in  some 
measure  divert  and  moderate  his  distress :  he  may  not  have  "  a 
mioistencd  finger  to  cool  his  tongue  :"  and  nothing  but  a  painful  re- 
membrance of  "  the  good  things,  v/hich  he  had  received  in  his  life- 
time," will  remain  with  him,  and  afflict  him  g  evously,  Luke  xvi. 
24,  25.  Yea,  what  will  distress  him  most,  he  w Ml  be  excluded  from 
the  enjoyment  of  the  only  blessed  God  ;  for  "  he  will  be  punished 
with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from 
the  glory  of  his  power,"  2  Thess.  i.  9,  He  is  now  indeed  alienated 
from  the  life  of  God  ;  but  he  doth  not  knew  God,  nor  the  happiness 
of  communion  with  him^  and  he  doth  not  concern  himself  witn  these 
things;  and  therefore  his  separation  from  Cod  doth  not  grieve  him, 
or  he  flatters  himself  with  a  vain  hope,  that  God  will  yet  be  favoura- 
ble to  him :  but  when  a  dreadful  eternity  shall  surprize  him,  he  will 
then  know  expenmentally,  and  with  anguish  of  soul  what  God  is, 
what  it  is  to  enjoy  him,  what  to  be  separated  and  estranged  from 
Iiim  ;  how  his  vain  hope  will  abhor  him,  and  leave  him  to  the  great- 
est distress,  without  any  relief.  (2)  He  will  not  only  miss  all  that  is 
good,  but  he  will  also  be  subjected  to  a  painful  feeling  of  all  that  is 
evil :  for  (a)  "  God  will  not  meet  him  as  a  man,"  Isaiah  xlvii.  3, 
but  "  he  will  stir  up  all  his  wrath,"  Psalm  Ixxviii.  38,  and  cause  the 
sinner  to  ►<  drink  of  the  wrath  of  the  Almighty,"  Job  xxi.  20.     Can 


IV,  LORD'S  DAY,  ^.  10,  U.  89 

a  man  not  endure  that  his  neighbour,  whose  good  will  he  seeks  and 
needeth,  should  behold  him  in  wrath,  how  insupportable  then  will 
"  the  power  of  God's  anj^er  and  indii^nution  be  to  liim  I"  Psalm  xc. 
ii.  The  damned  will  cry  out  n.ore  than  t-.e  heathen  and  Roman 
persecutors,  when  they  were  defeated  at  the  bpening  of  the  sixth 
seal,  Rev.  vi.  16,  17.  "  to  the  mountains  and  rocks.  Fall  on  uy,  and 
hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that  sitieth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the 
wrath  of  the  Lamb  :  for  the  great  day  of  his  vvraih  is  come  ;  and 
who  shall  be  able  to  stand  ?"  (b)  The  sinner's  conscience  will  also 
rage  terribly  against  him,  and  gnaw  and  sting  him  like  a  *'  worm,'* 
Mark  ix.  44,  46,  48.  Ii  will  continually  upbraid  him  with  all  his 
iniquities,  in  their  ag^^ravating  circumstances :  that  he  hath  sinned 
dreadfully  against  such  an  exalted  Majesty,  against  so  many  obliga- 
tions and  faithful  warnings,  and  that  he  hath  in  such  a  senseless 
manner  lost  his  invaluable  salvation  for  a  few  insignificant  trifles,  (c) 
And  what  will  afflict  him  equally  with  this  is,  that  he  will  always 
persist  in  sinning,  that  he  will,  in  the  most  horrible  manner  curse 
himself  and  his  neighbour,  with  whom  he  had  sinned  during  his  life, 
yea,  that  he  will  "  blaspheme  God  because  of  his  pains,"  like  the 
worshipers  of  the  beast,  when  "  the  fifth  viol  shall  be  poured  out 
Upon  his  seat,"  Rev.  xvi.  10,  11.  Sin  is  now  indeed  the  element  of 
the  sinner,  but  it  will  then  be  to  him  like  seething  water  to  aliving 
fish,  although  it  cannot  live  out  of  the  water,  which  is  its  element. 

This  misery  will  be  aggravated  by  the  circumstances  of  place,  of 
society,  and  duration.  The  transgressor  will  be  cast  and  shut  up  in 
a  most  dreary  place,  as  '*  in  a  prison,"  1  Peter  iii.  19,  ".in  hell," 
Luke  xvi.  23.  "the  deep,"  Luke  viii.  31.  "  the  lake  which  burneth 
with  fire  and  brimstone,"  Rev.  xxi.  8.  ''the  outer  darkness,'*  Matt. 
viii.  11.  All  these  terrifying  descriptions  of  the  place  of  the  damned 
ought  to  affect  the  sinner  with  the  greatest  horrour,  and  cause  him 
to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come. 

There  the  wicked  wight  will  also  be  with  the  most  horrible  sinnersj 
with  whom  no  person  of  the  least  morality  could  converse  here.  For 
"  the  lake  of  fire  is  the  portion  of  the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and 
abominable,  and  murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and 
idolators,  and  all  liars,"  Rev.  xxi.  8.  There  is  no  person  who  is 
more  hated  than  a  hypocrite  ;  but  hell  is  the  proper  abode  of  such, 
Matt.  xxiv.  51.  And  surely  those  monsters  will  not  be  there  to 
practise  their  enormities  for  sport,  but  to  torment  one  another,  when 
they  will  upbraid  one  another  with  a  hellish  mafignity,  that  they  have 
occasioned  each  others'  perdition.     The  devils  will  also  be  there,  a?* 

Q 


do  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  SlS\ 

in  their  inheritance,   Matt.  sxv.  41,  and  will  sene  as  "  tormentors" 
of  the  guilty  sinner.  Matt,  xviii.  34. 

If  the  season  ot  punishment  continued  thous:^nds  of  years,  there 
would  still  be  an  end  of  it ;  but  that  which  will  be  insupportable  to 
the  damned  person,  and  which  will  sink  him  into  the  lowest  depth  of 
despair  i^.  that  his  pains  will  be  eternal,  eternal  beyond  the  utmost 
reach  of  thouglit.  For  there  will  be  *'  an  everlasting  fire,  and  ever- 
lasung  punishment,"  Matt.  xxv.  41,  46.  "  He  may  seek  death,  but 
it  will  flee  from  him  ;  his  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not 
quenched." 

The  s  ul  of  the  sinner  must  undergo  this,  as  soon  as  in  death  it 
departs  from  the  body.  For  we  consider  it  as  an  opinion,  to  which 
we  ouo-ht  not  to  assent,  because  it  is  too  dangerous,  that  the  essence 
of  the  soul  consists  only  in  thought,  and  that  it  is  not  therefore  capa- 
ble of  residing  in  any  place  :  for  thou.2:ht  being  an  act  must  there- 
for.^ proceed  from  a  being,  which  actually  thinketh,  and  besides  this, 
we  must  sav  that  the  soul  being  in  no  place,  and  therefore  no  where, 
doth  really  not  exist  at  all :  and  what  becomes  of  tl^e  soul,  whea  it 
departs  from  the  body  ?  is  it  no  where  ?  how  is  the  believer  thea 
blessed,  when  he  dies  ?  according  to  Rev.  xiv.  1 3,  and  how  are  the  un- 
godly punished  ?  "  do  not  the  spirits  go  into  prison  then  ?"  I  Peter  iii, 
19.  And  how  do  those  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  suffer  the  vengeance 
of  eternal  fire  ?"  Jude  vrs.  7,  according  to  the  body  ?  No,  the  fire  by 
which  their  cities  and  bodies  were  burned,  hath  been  quenched  long 
since. 

The  body  is  indeed  freed  from  the  condemnation  of  hell  some- 
time ,  but  it  will  be  raised  up  again,  and  united  to  the  soul,  which  it 
had  served  as  an  nistrument  in  sinning,  in  o**der  to  be  punished  like- 
wise :  for  ''  many  shall  arise  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt," 
Dan.  xii.  2,  to  be  cast  with  body  and  soul  into  hell,"  where  they  will 
weep  with  their  eyes,  and  gnash  their  teeth,"  Matt.  xiii.  42,  and 
gnaw  their  tongues  for  pain,"  Rev.  xvi,  10. 

But  how  do  the  Socinians  strengthen  the  hands  of  the  ungodly, 
when  they  teach  that  the  heathens,  who  have  not  had  the  gospel, 
will  be  annihilated,  and  suffer  only  a  painless  punishment  of  loss  and 
deprivation,  that  they  shall  not  see  the  face  of  God  ;  but  that  those 
who  have  had  the  gospel,  and  nevertheless  shghted  and  rejected  it, 
shall  be  consumed  by  a  dreadful  fire  at  the  last  day,  with  great  tor- 
ment, and  then  be  annihilated.  If  an  ungodly  man  can  believe  this, 
he  will  become  still  more  ungodly.  Such  a  doctrine  supposes  that 
the  soul  is  mortal,  contrary  to  the  nature  of  it,  and  to  the  Avord  of 
God*    The  word  of  God  testifieth  also,  that  all  the  ungodly  "shall 


IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  10,  i  u  ^l 

depart  into  everlasting  fire,  and  into  everlasting  torment,"  Matt.  xxv. 
41,  46,  and  that  '^  their  worm  shall  not  die,  and  that  their  fire  shall 
not  be  quenched,"  Mark  ix.  44.  "■  The  heathens  do  not  know  God," 
saith  Paul,  i  Thess.  iv.  5.  Now  "  God  will  take  vengeance  in  fli.m- 
ing  fire  on  them  who  do  not  know  him,  as  well  as  on  them,  who  do 
not  obey  the  gospel,"  2  Thess.  i  8.  The  men  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah, who  were  heathens,  and  not  of  the  family  of  Abraham,  nor 
in  the  covenant,  *'  suffer  even  until  this  day  the  ver.geance  of  eternal 
nre,"  Jude  vrs.  7.  Surely  the  apostle  doth  not  mean  the  fire  by  which 
they  were  consumed,  since  that  was  not  the  eternal  fire,  for  it  doth 
Rot  burn  any  more. 

Behold  in  this  manner  doth  God  punish  sins  ;  but  dotli  he  pimish 
only  actual  sins  thus?  and  not  original  sin  alho  ?  suely  he  is  dis- 
pleased with  that  also,  and  will  punish  it  with  temporal  an.'  eternal 
judgments  ;  for  must  not  young  children,  who  have  only  original, 
and  not  actual  sins,  suffer  many  sorrows,  yea,  death  itself  ?  and  are 
not  these  miseries  a  punishment  of  their  original  sin  ?  we  may  not 
think  that  these  miseries  are  not  inflicted  upon  them  by  God,  nor 
that  God  visits  them  therewith,  without  regard  to  any  sinfulness  or 
punishment;  for  we  should  then  deny  either  tlie  providence  of  Clod, 
or  his  mercy  ;  but  may  we  think  that  children  who  die  without  com- 
mitting any  actual  sins  are  punished  for  ever  and  damned  ?  We  must 
speak  cautiously  here.  It  is  certain,  that  the  children  of  believing 
parents  are  received  with  their  parents  into  covenant  with  God,  ac- 
cording to  Gen.  xvii.  7.  Acts  ii.  39,  and  are  therefore  called  "  holy" 
1  Cor.  i'.  14,  and  "the  kingdom  of  God  is  promised  to  them," 
Matt,  xix,  13,  14,  15.  See  our  exposition  uf  iafant  baptism,  Lord's 
Day  27.  But  this  is  not  the  subject  of  inquiry  here,  but  w."  e'her 
God  is  displeased  with  the  original  sin  of  children,  and  whether  he 
will  punish  it,  as  the  instructor  speaks  ?  and  truly  the  word  of  God 
teaches  us  this,  when  it  saith  that  "  the  whole  world,"  and  therefore 
children  also  "  are  guilty  before  God,"  Rom.  iii  19.  We  are  also 
«  children  of  wrath  by  nature,"  Eph.  ii.  3.  Children  are  sometin^s 
punished  with  their  parents,  who  are  punished  eternally,  as  we  sec 
in  the  children  of  the  first  world,  who  perished  in  the  flood  with  their 
parents,  **  who  are  in  prison,"  1  Peter  iii.  19,  and  this  grievous  judg* 
ment  befell  them  on  account  of  original  sin  also,  according  to  Gen. 
vi.  5,  6,  7.  Were  not  children  punished  in  the  fire  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  ?  and  do  not  these  suffer  even  until  this  day  "  the  punish- 
ment of  eternal  fire  ?"  Jude  vrs.  7.  * 

*  Our  author  doth  not  assert  here  absolutely,  that  any  infants  arc  actually 
lost,  bat  h«  only  argweg  frem   r«rfain  passage*  of  scriptur*,  with  rMpect  to 


Is  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  SIN. 

Because  original  sin  is  a  punishment  of  Adam's  sin,  therefore  the 
Remonstrants  assert  that  God  doth  not  punish  original  sin  in  this 
manner ;  since  one  punishment  would  then  be  unjustly  punished 
■with  another.  But  original  sin  is  not  only  a  punishment  by  a  right- 
eous imputation  of  Adam's  guilt,  but  it  is  also  an  inherent  depravity, 
rendering  man  liable  to  punisiiment  from  his  birth  :  he  is  called  in- 
deed "  a  transgressor  from  the  womb,"  Isaiah  xlviii.  8-  We  must 
humble  ourselves  on  account  of  it,  with  David,  Psalm  li.  5,  and  with 
him  seek  for  the  pardon  of  it,  and  God  punishetb  one  sin  in  other 
instances  with  another,  which  sin  is  then  again  justly  punished. 

It  IS  contrary  to  the  word  of  Ciod,  as  we  will  show  on  the  seventh 
Lord's  Day,  that  Crod  hath  received  all  mankind,  who  fell  in  Adam, 
^nd  therefore  children  also  into  favour,  and  that  he  doth  not  conse- 
quently punish  original  sin.  \V  e  do  not  speak  here  of  the  covenant 
of  grace,  mto  which  some  children  are  received,  but  of  the  covenant 
of  works,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  God  punisheth  the  posterity 
of  Adam  on  account  of  the  breach  of  this  covenant.  Doth  God  re- 
ceive all  men  graciously  into  a  general  covenant  of  grace,  he  will 
nevertheless,  even  according  to  the  opinion  of  the  Remonstrants, 
punish  many  of  them  ;  for  they  teach  that  every  individual  of  man- 
kind will  not  be  eternally  happy. 

It  is  true  God  forgave  the  sin  of  Adam,  when  he  promised  him 
the  seed  of  the  w  mian  .  but  it  doth  not  follow  therefrom,  that  he 
forgave  the  whole  human  race,  who  had  sinned  in  him,  that  sin,  and 

this  matter,  In  such  a  manner,  as  to  show,  that  we  must  not  presume  to  decide 
positively,  that  all  infants  are  saved  ;  neither  doth  the  catechism,  or  any 
other  standard  of  our  church  declare  absolutely,  that  any  infants,  who  die 
before  I  hey  have  committed  £Ctual  sins,  are  damned,  but  only  with  the  word 
of  God,  that  we  are  by  nature  child»-en  of  wrath,  and  that  unless  a  person  be 
born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God  and  that  those  who  die  in 
their  natural,  or  unregenerate  state  suffer  not  only  for  actual  sins  ,  but  als© 
for  their  or.ginal,  or  birth  sin.  We  cannot  indeed  tell,  but  that  it  may  please 
God,  of  ^is  nilinite  compassion,  to  regenerate  all  those  chrildren,  whom  he 
takes  out  of  the  world  before  they  have  committed  ;iCtual  sins.  Leading 
divines  have  differed  in  their  opinions  concerning  the  future  condition  of  in- 
fants. But  although  we  cannot  decide  positively  u'hat  the  actual  state  of 
infants  may  be  after  this  life,  nevertheless  Christians  in  general  have  always 
conceived,  tnat  we  have  greater  encouragement  from  scripture  to  hope  well  of 
infants,  who  die  within  the  pale  of  the  church,  than  of  those  who  die  without 
that  pale,  since  the  fermer  are  entitled  to  the  promises,  and  therefore  may  be 
baptized,  but  the  latter  have  no  express  promise,  and  therefore  may  not  be 
btptired.  Those  Christians  who  have  conceived  that  any  children  were  lost, 
Jiave  always  holden  that  the.e  was  a  great  diflerence  between  the  unhappines.-i 
p,f  such,  and  of  persons  who  have  committed  actual  sins- 


IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q,  10.  li,  99 

that  he  doth  not  punish  them  for  it ;  for  if  God  forgave  Kim  his  per- 
sonal sin,  he  did  not  therefore  forgive  the  whole  human  race  that  sinj 
unless  Adam  were  the  head  of  the  whole  human  race  in  the  cove- 
nant of  i^race,  as  well  as  in  the  covenant  of  works,  which  no  man  can 
say,  who  holds  that  Christ  is  the  head  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  ac* 
cording  to  Rom.  v.  15 — 19.  1  Cor.  xv.  21,  22,  49. 

But  how  is  God  displeased  with  sin  ?  **  terribly,"  sai^h  the  in- 
structor. Therefore  the  an^^er  of  C^od  is  likened  to  the  most  terrible 
things,  to  wit,  to  't  a  fire  whjch  burns  to  the  lowest  hell,"  Deut.  xxxii. 
22.  to  "  instruments  of  death,  a  sharp  sword,  a  bent  bow  and  arrows," 
Psalm  vii.  11,  12,  13,  to  "a  grievous  whirlwind  from  the  Lord."  Jer. 
xxiii.  19,  to  the  "  dregs"  of  a  poisonous  cup,  Psalm  Ixxv.  8.  Jtr,  xxv. 
15,  16,  and  to  the  raging  of  a  •'  fierce  lion,  leopard  and  bear,"  Hosea 
xiii.  7.  8.     There   are  also  many  examples  of  God's  terrible  anger. 
We  will  not  speak  now  of  the  dreadful  judgments  that  befell  the  old 
world.   Sodom  and  the  seditious  company  of  Korah,  see  only  how 
even  the  most   1  oly  men  have  roared  under  a  sense  of  (iod's  anger. 
How  was  Job  forced  to  complain  of  "  the  arrows  of  the  Almighty," 
chap.  vi.  4.      Feman  was  "  afflicted  and  ready  to  die  from  his  youth 
iip,\  8cc.  Psalm  Ixxxviii.  15 — 19.  Row  grievously  the  Son  of  God 
himself  was  oppressed  l)y  tlie  wrath  ot   God   we   may  see  from  his 
bitter  complaints  m  the  garden,  and  on  the  cross,  and  the  distress  of 
heaven  and  earth,  whicli  seemed  to  suffer  with  him,  and  on  account 
of  him.    Matt.  xxvi.  37 — 44.  chap    xxvii.  45 — 54      And  when  God 
attacks  impenitent  sinners,  how  doth  it  affright  them,  and  what 
trembling  siezes  on  them,  saying,  "  Who  among  us  shall  dwell  with 
devouring  fire  ?  who  among  us  shall  dwell  with  everlasting  burn- 
ings r"  Isaiah   xxxiii    14.   Only  represent   to  yourselves  how  sadly 
the  damned  weep  with  their  eyes,  how  they  gnash  their  teeth,  how 
they  gnaw  their  tongues,  wring  their  hands,  how  they  seek  for  death 
in  vain,  and  blaspheme  the  God  of  heaven.     We  can  also  conceive 
that  God  is  terribly  displeased,  when  we  consider  that  he  is  not  de- 
ficient in  wisdom  to  contrive  terrible  punishmepts,  nor  in  power  to 
execute  them  upon  those  who  reproach  his  name.     He  denounceth 
his  curse   against  the  least  sin,   Gal.   iii.    10.     Many  Bethshemites 
were  punished  with  death,  because  they  looked  inquisitively  into  the 
ark,  and  Uzza,  because  he  laid  hold  of  it  in  an  indiscreet  manner, 
1  Sam.  vi.  19,  20.  2  Sam.  vi.  6,  7.     When  we  add  to  this  that  God 
will  punish  sin  eternally,  we  may  then  also  imagine  how  terribly 
God  is  displeased  with  sin. 

Since  God  is  so  terribly  displeased  with  sin,  he  will  also  "  cer- 
tainly" punish  it,  as  he  hath  spokei;i,  Deut.  xxvii-  26.  Gal.  iii.  10c 


04  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  SIN. 

"Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  thini^s  that  are  written 
in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them."  This  is  the  threatening  of  the 
covenant  of  works :  for  Paul  proves  from  this  sentence  of  cursing, 
that  "  as  many  as  are  of  the  works  of  the  law  are  under  the  curse,'* 
Gal.  iii.  10 ;  to  which  curse  pertain  likewise  all  the  threatenings  de- 
nounced in  the.  word  of  God  against  the  unconverted  sinner  ;  for  it 
is  *  the  law  only  that  worket  •  wrath,"  Rom.  iv.  15,  and  therefore 
this  sentence  ot  the  curse  is  very  properly  referred  by  the  inslructoi* 
to  original,  as  well  as  to  actual  sin,  inasmuch  as  both  belong  to  the 
covenant  of  works.  When  this  curse  v/as  announced  to  the  Israelites* 
with  whom  God  had  already  established  his  covenant  of  grace,  Deut» 
xxxvi.  16,  it  was  not,  because  he  entered  into  a  covenant  of  works 
with  them,  but  because  he  chose  to  exhibit  the  broken  covenant  of 
works  to  them  by  the  legal  administration  of  the  covenant  of  gr^ce^ 
in  order  that  he  might  convince  them,  and  urge  them  to  the  Mes- 
siah, who  was  to  come.  See  Gal  iii.  10 — 24.  V'hen  God  saith  this, 
we  must  also  believe  it,  and  be  assu-ed  that  he  will  certainly  punish 
sin  ;  for  he  is  true  in  his  threateninjjs  as  well  as  in  his  promises  ; 
therefore  Samuel  said  with  respect  to  the  judgment  denounced 
against  Saul,  "  He  who  is  the  strength  of  Israel  will  not  lie  ror  re- 
pent ;  for  he  is  not  a  man  that  he  should  repent,"  1  Sam.  xv.  29. 
When  the  curses  were  denounced  from  mount  Ebal,  "  all  the  people- 
should  say  Amen,"  Deut.  xxvii.  IS — 26. 

It  is  also  "  necessary,"  that  God  should  punish  sin,  not  only  on 
account  of  his  truth,  since  he  hath  said  it,  but  also  because  it  is  natu- 
ral to  him  ;  for  it  doth  not  proceed  merely  from  his  free  good  pleas- 
ure, but  also  from  his  nature,  that  he  doth  punish  sin.  For  (1)  "sin 
is  committed  against  the  most  high  majesty  of  God,"  his  glory  and 
sovereignty,  which  we  must  acknowledge,  and  also  that  we  have  to 
do  with  him.  AH  this  is  denied  and  rejected  by  the  sinner,  when  he 
sinneth-  as  though  God  were  not  worthy  to  be  feared,  loved  and  serv- 
ed ;  and  so  his  most  high  majesty  is  dishonoured.  Sirce  now  God 
loves  himself,  and  therefore  also  his  glorious  majesty,  with  the 
greatest  love,  he  cannot  but  be  jealous  of  sin  ;  and  what  is  the  jeal- 
ousy of  God,  but  an  avenging  punishment,  whereby  he  restores  his 
injured  majesty  to  its  proper  lustre  ?  "  He  will  by  no  means  clear 
the  guilty.  His  name  is  jealous,  and  he  is  a  jealous  God,"  Exod. 
xxxiv.  7,  14.  Nahum  i.  1,2.  Therefore  it  is  said,  that  he  is  glori-. 
fied,  when  he  punishes  sin.  Numb.  xiv.  2 1,  22,  23,  and  that  he  "com- 
forts" himself,  when  he  taketh  vengeance,  Isaiah  i.  24.  (2)  The. 
holiness  of  God  hath  a  natural  aversion  from  the  sinner  on  acount  of 
his  sin,  and  it  is  natural  to  God  to  hate   sin  :  "  He  is  of  purer  eyoG.. 


IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  10,  lu  9i 

than  to  behold  evil,"  Hab.  i.  13  Can  he  therefore,  who  is  holiness 
itself,  exercise  communion  with  the  sinner,  as  he  wouW  do,  if  he  did 
not  punish  him,  but  showed  him  favour r  If  it  were  possibk-  for  him 
not  to  hate  sin,  it  would  be  possible  for  him  to  love  it.  How  contrary 
this  is  to  the  holy  nature  of  God,  how  averse  he  is  from  sin,  and  on 
account  of  it  from  the  sinner,  is  known  to  all.  What  is  God's  hatred 
and  aversion  from  sin  and  the  sinner  ?  is  it  not  the  greatest  punish- 
ment ?  see  Psalm  v.  5,  6,  7.  2  Thess.  i.  9.  If  God  did  not  punish  sin, 
he  would  then  seem  to  be  "  like  the  sinner,"  Psalm  1  21,  but  when 
he  punishes  sin,  he  then  shows  that  he  is  holy.  Lev.  x  I,  2,  3.  Ezek. 
xxviii.  22.  (3)  The  justice  of  God,  as  judge  of  the  whole  earth  re» 
quires  also,  that  he  should  punish  sin,  surely  the  judiciary  punish- 
ment of  sin  is  an  act  not  only  of  anger,  but  also  of  justice,  "  God  is 
indeed  a  righteous  judge,  and  a  God  who  is  angry  every  day,"  Psalm 
vii-  12.  cxxix.  4.  Rom.  ii.  5.  Is  not  this  punitive  justice  of  God  as 
judge,  natural  to  him,  as  well  as  his  other  natural  perfections,  which 
he  cannot  deny  ?  can  we  indeed  conceive  of  God,  as  contrary  to  this 
judiciary  justice,  and  as  a  judge,  who  is  not  righteous  ?  "  The  Gen- 
tiles know  the  judgment  of  God ;  that  they  who  commit  such  things 
are  worthy  of  death,"  Rom.  i.  32.  How  do  the  Gentiles  know  this  ? 
by  a  revelation  ?  no,  but  by  the  light  of  nature,  and  by  their  own 
consciences,  whereby  "  they  do  by  nature  the  things  contained  in 
the  law,"  Rom.  ii.  14,  15.  Now  it  is  certain  that  they  cannot  know 
this  judgment  of  God  by  the  light  of  nature,  if  the  punitive  justice 
of  God  be  not  natural  to  him  :  for  that  which  depends  upon  the  free 
good  pleasure  of  Cod,  and  upon  his  government  no  man  can  know 
by  the  light  of  nature,  but  only  by  revelation.  If  God  did  not  punish 
sin,  he  would  not  do  right,  as  a  judge,  either  to  himself  or  to  the 
sinful  creature,  and  therefore  God  is  said  to  declare  his  righteousness 
when  he  punishes  sin,  Rom.  iii.  25,  26.  (4)  The  authority  of  God 
as  a  lawgiver,  by  which  he  requireth  obedience  of  his  rational  crea- 
tures is  natural  to  him  :  he  cannot  discharge  man  of  his  duty  and 
obligation  to  keep  his  commands  :  "  On  account  of  his  incomparable 
glory  he  may  justly  require  that  every  one  should  fear  him,"  Jer» 
X.  6,  7  If  God  can  suffer  the  sinner  to  remain  unpunished,  he  can 
then  also  discharge  him  of  his  obligation  to  obedience  ;  for  when  he 
did  not  punish  the  sinner,  he  would  say  that  he  could  endure  that 
tnan  should  not  obey  him,  which  surely  cannot  be. 

Let  no  man  say  that  punishment  is  a  strange  work  of  God,  and  is 
not  natural  to  him,  because  it  is  said,  Isaiah  xxviii.  21.  "The  Lord 
shall  rise  up  as  in  mount  Perazim,  he  shall  be  wroth  as  in  the  valley 
x>{  Gibeon,  tliat  he  may  do  his  work,  his  strange  work ;  and  bring 


91^  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  SIN. 

to  pass  his  act,  his  strange  act ;"  for  the  Socinians  and  others,  who 
object  this  to  us,  must  answer  this  objection  themselves,  inasmuch 
as  they  say  that  it  is  natural  to  God  to  punish  the  impenitent  sinner^ 
who  persists  in  sinning  without  reformation  ;  yet  they  will  not  allow 
this  with  regard  to  every  sin,  as  they  do  with  regard  to  impenitence, 
when  nevertlieless  impenitence  is  punishable  only  on  account  of  its 
sinfulness,  and  not  on  account  of  its  duration  ;  for  duration  is  of  itself 
pot  si.'Kul,  but  in  several  mstances  commendable.  With  regardi-to 
Jsaiaa  xxviii  21,  we  do  not  read  there,  that  God's  work  and  act  of 
punishing  is  strange  to  God,  but  only  that  it  is  strange :  and  to 
^hom  should  it  be  strange  ?  to  God?  no:  but  to  the  transgressors, 
on  whom  God  would  inflict  a  strange  and  unusual  pUi  ishment. 

As  God  punishes  sin  terribly,  certainly,  and  necessarily,  so  he  pun- 
ishes it  ''justly."  In  order  that  the  punishment  may  be  just,  it  must 
be  equal  to  the  sin^  and  not  exct- ed  it :  and  so  a  just  punishment  is 
that  "  recompence  of  an  errour  which  is  meet,"  Rom.  i-  2f  ii.  6, 
Kow  sin  is  committ.  d  against  the  most  high  majesty  of  God :  but 
sin  is  grievous  in  proportion  to  the  dignity  of  the  pefson,  against 
whom  it  is  committed.  See  Job  xxxiv.  18,  19.  1  Sam  ii.  25.  Since 
now  sin  is  committed  against  the  infinite  God,  and  his  most  high 
majesty,  therefore  sin  is  also,  in  a  certain  respect,  infinite,  to  wit, 
with  respect  to  the  infinite  object  of  sin  :  "  and  therefore  the  justice 
of  God  requireth  that  sin,  which  is  cbmmitted  against  the  most  high 
majesty  of  God,  be  punished  with  extreme,  that  is,  with  everlasting 
punishment,  both  of  body  and  soul."  Since  now  it  doth  not  please 
God  to  annihilate  the  sinner,  but  to  suffer  him  to  exist  for  ever,  there- 
fore it  is  also  an  act  of  justice  to  punish  him  for  ever  with  a  sensible 
punishment,  because  he  hath  sinned  against  God,  who  will  exist  for 
ever,  and  because  he  will  continue  to  sin,  on  account  of  his  abomi- 
nableness,  which  will  cleave  to  him  for  ever. 

II.  The  careless  sinner,  unwilling  to  be  disturbed  by  the  terrible- 
ness  and  justice  of  the  punishment,  sooths  and  hardens  himself  with 
the  mercy  of  God,  as  if  that  Would  overcome  and  swallow  up  his 
justice  ;  in  which  he  is  strengthened  by  the  Socinians,  when  they 
alledge  the  mercy  of  God  against  the  doctrine  of  his  punishing  jus* 
tice,  asking,  "  Is  not  God  then  also  merciful?"  We  allow  that  God 
is  indeed  merciful,  as  well  as  just ;  but  God  will  not  exercise  mercy 
to  the  disparagement  of  his  justice.  To  illustrate  this  we  will  ex- 
plain wherein  the  mercy  of  God  consists,  and  in  what  manner  it  is 
exercised,  and  we  will  then  show  that  it  doth  not  militate  against 
bis  strict  justice. 

Mercy  in  man  is  a  sorrowful  perturbation  of  mind,  on  account  of 


IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  10,  11.  07 

the  suffering  of  another,  disposing  him  to  rescue  the  sufferer.  But 
the  Lord  God  being  independent,  simple,  unchangable,  and  perfectly- 
happy,  cannot  be  affected  with  such  an  agitation  and  perturbation  of 
mind :  therefore,  when  it  is  said  of  him,  after  the  manner  of  men, 
that  he  is  merciful,  it  must  be  understood  in  a  sense  which  is  wor- 
thy of  the  nature  of  God  ;  and  so  the  mercy  of  God  is  only  his  good- 
ness to  the  miserable,  which  he  exerciseth,  either  by  bestowing  com- 
mon benefits  even  upon  the  vilest  sinners,  as  Jesus  aaith,  Luke  vi. 
35,  Sec.  '*  He  is  kind  to  the  unthankful,  and  to  the  evil.  Be  ye, 
therefore,  merciful,  as  your  Father  also  is  merciful."  Or  God  exer» 
cises  his  mercy  by  conferring  special  and  saving  benefits  in  Christ 
upon  the  elect.  Hear  what  Paul  saith  of  this,  Eph.  ii.  45.  "  God, 
who  is  rich  in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  wherewith  he  loved  us,  even 
when  we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath  quickened  us  together  with  Christ." 
But  although  God  is  so  merciful,  he  is  also  just :  and,  he  requires 
that  sin  should  be  punished,  and  his  mercy  doth  not  abolish  his  vin- 
dictive justice  ;  for  the  attributes  of  God  cannot  militate,  one  ag-ainst 
anothef,  whereby  one  wouh;  detract  from  the  lustre  of  another  ;  b\it 
one  must  increase  the  lustre  of  the  other:  therefore,  the  justice  and 
mercy  of  God  are  joined  together  to  his  praise.  See  Exod.  xxxiv. 
6,  7.    Psalm  cxi   3,  4.  cxii   4.  cxvi.  5. 

When  this  is  rightly  considered,  we  will  see,  (a)  that  there  is  no 
force  in  this  objection  to  deny  the  vindictive  justice  of  God  :  for  al- 
though God  is  merciful  to  the  unthankful  and  evil,  bestowing  com- 
mon benefits  on  them,  he  will  nevertheless  punish  them  severely,  if 
not  in  this  life,  yet  after  this  life.  Common  mercy  is  not  shown  to 
them  in  order  to  exempt  them  from  eternal  punishment,  but  it  only- 
moderates  their  punishment  for  a  season,  in  order  to  afford  them  a 
testimony  of  the  divine  goodness,  and  invite  them  to  repentance. 
2  Peter,  iii.  9.  "that  they  may  be  without  excuse."  Rom.  i.  19,20. 
"  Do  they  despise  the  riches  of  the  goodness,  and  forbearance,  and 
longsuffering  of  God,  not  knowing  that  the  goodness  of  God  leadeth 
them  to  repentance,  they  do  after  their  hardness  and  impenitent 
hearts,  treasure  up  wrath  to  themselves  against  the  day  of  wrath,  and 
revelation  of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God."  Rom.  ii.  4,  5« 
Doth  he  show  his  special  mercy  to  the  salvation  of  the  elect,  this 
supposeth  the  satisfaction  of  his  justice  by  Christ,  whereby  he  hath 
borne  their  punishment.  Isaiah  liii.  4,  5.  Rom.  iii.  25,  26. (b)  We 
may  also  learn  from  what  hath  been  said  before,  that  this  objection 
proceeds  from  a  mistaken  notion  of  tlie  divine  mercy,  and  of  man's 
sinful  misery.  The  Socinians  imagine  tliat  God,  as  well  as  man,  is 
subject  to  the  passions  «f  anger,  sorix)w,  and  so  also  of  mercy;  and 

R 


9i  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  SIN, 

that  he  is  moved  by  the  misery  of  men,  to  abstain  from  punisbih^ 
him.  and  to  dehver  him.  But  such  agitations  of  mind  raihtatc 
against  the  independence,  simplicity,  unchangableness,  and  hap- 
piness of  God  ;  and  besides  this,  the  sinful  misery  of  man  is  not 
adapted  to  excite  mercy  and  compassion,  whereby  God  should  be 
moved  to  deliver  him  ;  but  it  is  a  misery  Avhich  excites  hatred  and 
detestation,  and  thus  calls  for  the  righteous  anger  of  God.  Psalm  v. 
4,5,6.  J  lab.  i.  13.  See  how  loathsome  the  sinner  is  described, 
Ezek.  xvi.  1.5.  How  tan  God  be  moved  by  such  a  misery  to  com- 
passion ?  Must  he  not  remove  the  Avorker  of  iniquity  from  his  pre- 
sence ?  "  The  way  of  the  sinner  is  before  God  like  the  uncleanness 
of  a  lAenstruous  woman  ;  therefore  he  pours  his  fury  out  upon 
him."  Ezek.  xxxvi.  17,  18.  Can  any  man  from  pity  take  up 
a  toad  that  hath  been  trodden  under  foot,  and  that  wallows  in  its 
blood  and  poisonous  spittle,  lick  )t,  or  kiss  it,  in  order  to  heal  it? 
surely  no :  he  cannot  look  upon  it,  but  must  remove  it  from  his  sight. 
Much  less  can  the  holy  God,  wiiO  is  holiness  itself,  embrace  in  his 
special  kindness  and  love,  the  hateful  tinner,  without  a  satisfaction  to 
his  justice. (e)  We  add  also,  that  this  objection  is  out  of  its  place. 
God  is  merciful  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  but  not  in  the  covenant  of 
works,  which  the  sinner  hath  broken.  Mercy  hath  no  place  in  the 
broken  covenant  of  works,  but  only  justice  ;  "  The  law  worketh 
wratli."  Rom.  iv.  15.  All  the  mercy  whereby  God  honours  his 
people  with  saving  grace,  proceeds  from  the  covenant  of  grace 
which  supposeth  the  death  of  the  iVTediator,  and  therefore  God's  vin- 
dictive justice.  ITeb.  ix  15.  Since  now  this  Lord's  day  treats  of 
the  righteous  judgment  of  God,  on  account  of  our  breach  of  the 
covenant  of  works,  therefore  the  objection  from  the  mercy  of  God 
in  the  covenant  of  Grace  is  out  o(  its  proper  place  here. 


APPLICATION. 

In  this  manner  do  the  Socinians  deny  by  their  doctrine  the  terrible 
displeasure  of  God,  by  which  he  punisheth  sin.  temporally  and  eter- 
nally, certainly  and  justly  :  but  this  is  denied  by  you  also,  who  have 
not  yet  tied  to  Christ  by  faith  and  conversion,  in  order  to  obtain  his 
righteousness.     For, 

1.  Ye  do  not  yet  know  the  demerit  of  your  sins.  If  ye  knew  it, 
and  believed  the  terrible  displeasure  of  God  on  account  of  your  sins, 
would  ye  not  then  fear  and  tremble  more  because  of  your  sins,  and 
those  terrible  punishments,  which  ye  must  expect  ?  woujd  ye  be  sc*' 
careless,  and  "when  ye  do  evil,  skip  for  joy  ?"  Jer.  xi,  15. 


IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  10,  1  \.  99 

2.  When  God  punishes  you  in  this  life  with  many  and  grievous 
calamities,  ye  do  not  then  perceive  Ihat  God  doth  this  on  account  of 
your  sins  and  impenitence  :  ye  look  not  at  him  who  smites  you,  but 
think  that  time  and  chance  bring  these  things  forth  :  ye  think  that 
they  come  to  pass,  as  though  "  afflictions  came  forth  out  of  the  earth, 
and  trouble  sprang  up  out  of  the  ground,"  Job  v.  6.  And  so  ye  say 
with  your  deeds,  "  The  Lord  will  not  do  good,  neither  will  he  do 
evil,"  Zeph.  i.  12, 

3.  How  often  do  ye  harden  yourselves  against  God's  terrible  judg- 
ments !  for  when  he  smites  you,  ye  do  not  relent ;  and  it  doth  not 
induce  you  to  br.?ak  oif  your  iniquities  :  but  ye  start  up  against  his 
procedure,  and  add  to  your  abominable  sins,  like  "  Ahaz,  who  in  the 
time  of  his  trouble,  trespassed  still  more  against  the  Lord,"  2  Chron. 
xxviii.  22.  "  Doth  God  smite  you,  ye  are  not  grieved  ;  doth  he 
consume  you,  ye  refuse  to  receive  correction  ;  ye  make  your  faces 
harder  than  a  rock,  and  refuse  to  return,"  Jer.  v.  3.  Doth  a  fear 
for  the  wrath  to  come  ever  take  hold  of  you,  it  is  irksome  to  you,  ye 
endeavour  to  stifle  your  consciences,  and  to  "  cover  your  transg:res  ■ 
sions  like  Adam,  by  hiding  your  iniquity  in  your  bosom,"  Job  xxxi. 
33.  Gen.  iii.  1?. 

4.  Ye  flatter  and  deceive  yourselves,  thinking  that  ye  wil^  not  be 
punished  &o  severely :  "  When  ye  hear  the  words  of  this  curse,  ye 
do  then  bless  yourselves  in  your  hearts,  saying,  We  shall  have  peace, 
though  we  walk  in  the  imagination  of  ©ur  hearts,"  Deut.  xxix.  19. 
Ye  think  these  threatenings  have  been  denounced  so  long,  nothing 
v/ill  come  of  them,  like  '*  the  scoffers  in  the  last  days,'  2  Peter  iii. 
4.  If  yc  dare  not  be  so  wicked,  ye  put  the  evil  day  far  off,  and 
think,  the  vision  is  yet  for  many  days,  and  a  man  will  not  be  misera- 
ble before  the  time  ;  but,  friends,  when  God  c'efers,  he  dot,ii  not  then 
desert,  and  when  he  defers,  it  ought  not  to  render  you  more  care- 
less and  wicked,  but  it  ought  to  '^  lead  you  to  repentance,"  Rom.  ii. 
4.  2  Peter  iii,  9.  Dotli  fear  beset  you,  ye  banish  it,  and  flatter  your= 
selves  with  the  mercy  of  God,  and  with  the  sufferings  of  Christ  for 
sin.  But  is  G,od  merciful  to  you  with  his  saving  favour  ?  and  hath 
Jesus  suff*ered  for  your  sins  ?  he  hath  surely  suff'ered  for  none  but 
those  ^'^  who  turn  from  transgression,"  Isaiah  lix.  20.  Do  ye  hope 
that  ye  will  turn  yet  ?  wken  ?  when  this  or  that  opportunity  occurs  I 
but  perhaps  ere  such  an  opportunity  occurs,  "  the  decree  of  God  will; 
bring  forth,  the  day  will  pass  as  the  chaff",  the  fierce  anger  of  the 
Lord  will  come  upon  you,"  Zeph.  ii.  2.  Ye  say.  We  hope  not ;  but 
your  hope  is  vain  and  ungrounded,  it  will  forsake  you.  Do  ye  suffer 
niany  affUctions,  and  do  ye  comfort  yourselves  with  a  hope,  ths^t 


100  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  SIN. 

these  will  be  the  full  measure  of  your  sufferings,  and  that  ye  win  not 
be  obliged  to  suffer  hereafter  ?  this  is  nothing  but  deceit ;  your  suf- 
ferings in  this  world  vill  not  diminish  aught  froncs  your  eternal  pui>- 
ishment ;  the>  are  only  the  beginnings  of  eternal  sorrows.  Or  do- 
ye  inna^nie,  that  ye  are  delivered  from  tht.  wrath  of  God,  because  ye 
arc  not  so  wicked  as  this  or  that  person,  but  are  civil  and  devout  ? 
But  was  not  the  Pharisee  so  virtuous  as  thiS)  and  did  not  "  he  go 
down  to  his  house  unjustified  ?"  Luke  xviii.  10 — 14.  When  ye  have 
no  more  cloaks  for  your  shame,  when  they  have  all  been  taken  from 
you,  and  your  abominableness  and  misery  have  been  discovered  to 
you,  ye  then  think,  it  would  be  truly  sad,  that  ye  should  be  aban- 
doned to  wretchedness ;  and  because  your  self-love  will  not  suffer 
you  to  think  the  worst  of  yourselves,  ye  imagine  that  this  Mill  not 
befall  you.  But  how  exceedingly  will  ye  be  disappointed,  when  Cod 
will  attack  you,  while  ye  do  not  expect  it,  with  his  almighty  anger, 
and  not  as  a  man,  when  ye  will  bewail  yourselves  too  late,  and 
"  mourn  at  the  last,  saying,  How  have  I  hated  instruction,  and  my 
heart  despised  reproof?  and  have  not  obeyed  the  voice  of  my  teach- 
ers, nor  inchneJ  mine  ear  to  them  that  instructed  me  ?  Prov  v.  1 1, 
12,  13.  Do  ye  ask,  What  shall  we  nevertheless  do  ?  will  ye  indeed 
do  aught?  if  ye  will,  come  then  hither,  and  I  will  instruct  you.  (1) 
Behold  your  utter  abominableness  and  woful  misery:  ye  have  ariginal 
and  actual  sins  :  the  terrible  wrath  of  God  lieth  upon  you,  and  ye 
have  reason  to  expect  that  God  will  attack  you  shortly  vvith  his  fiery 
indignation.  Because  ye  do  not  attend  to  this,  therefore  ye  remain 
hardened,  careless,  and  do  not  seek  for  any  real  recovery.  That  ye 
may  therefore  awake,  behold  the  greatness  of  your  misery,  pause, 
and  endeavour  to  understand  it,  that  ye  may  be  penetrated  with 
grief  and  concern,  "  Examine  yourselves  strictly,  yea,  examine  your- 
selves strictly,  O  ye  listless  people."  Zeph.  ii.  1,  See  Jer,  ii.  19,  23. 

2.  Beware  of  accusing  the  Lord  of  excessive  severity,  or  of  in- 
justice :  "  Is  God  unrighteous,  who  taketh  vengeance  ?  God  forbid  : 
for  then  how  shall  God  judge  the  world  ?"  Rom.  iii.  5,  6.  Not  only 
David  said,  Psalm  cxix.  37.  "  Righteous  art  thou,  O  Lord,  and  up- 
right are  thy  judgments  ;"  but  even  the  hardened  Pharaoh  cried  out, 
Exod-  ix.  2f .  "  The  Lord  is  righteous,  and  I  and  my  people  are 
wicked."  Do  not  do  less  than  this,  that  the  Lord  may  not  compel . 
you  by  his  mighty  displeasure  to  such  an  acknoM'ledgment. 

3.  Earnestly  endeavour  to  be  delivered  from  your  great  misery. 
To  be  unconcerned  whether  we  shall  be  saved  or  damned,  to  do 
nothing  in  order  to  escape  damnation,  and  obtain  salvation,  is  cer- 
tainly the  greatest  madness,  of  which  a  human  being  is  capable : 


IV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  iO,  U.  ipi 

«Be  zealous  therefore  and  repent,"  Rev.  iii.  19.  Do  not  imagine 
that  a  few  ceremonies,  or  a  mere  heartless  sigh  will  save  a  sinner : 
no,  he  must  strive  earnestly :  "  Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  £^ate  i 
for  many  shall  seek  to  enter  in,  and  shall  not  be- able,"  saith  the 
Saviour,  Luke  xiii.  24.  "  The  violent  only  take  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  by  force,"  Matt.  xl.  12.  We  must,  like  one  who  is  pursued 
and  afraid,  "  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,"  Matt.  iii.  7. 

4.  Do  not  seek  any  happiness  or  deliverance  by  your  oWn  doings, 
but  only  by  fleeing  to  the  Mediator  Jesus,  that  "  ye  may  be  found  in 
him,  and  obtain  his  righteousness,"  with  Paul,  Philip,  iii.  7,  8,  9,  for 
'•  there  is  salvation  in  none  other,"  Acts  iv.  12.  Jesus  alone  is  "  set 
forth  of  God  to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare 
his  righteousness,"  Rom.  iii.  25.  Therefore  look  unto  him  and  ha 
saved,"  Thus  he  calls  to  you,  Isaiah  xlv  22. 

5.  Be  afraid  of  the  least  sin  ;  for  it  is  committed  against  the 
niost  high  majesty  of  God,  and  he  punishes  it  terribly.  This  should 
render  every  one  fearful  of  sinning,  like  Job,  who  said — *'  Destruc- 
tion from  God  was  a  terrour  to  me,  and  by  reason  of  his  highness  I 
could  not  endure."  Job  xxxi.  23.  He  who  persists  in  sinnine:  wilful- 
ly and  wittingly,  cannot  expect  any  mercy  ;  "but  he  who  confesseth 
and  forsaketh  sin,  shall  obtain  mercy  "  Prov.  xxviii.  13.  "  Wash  ye, 
make  you  clean,  put  away  the  evil  of  your  doings  from  before  mine 
eyes,  cease  to  do  evil,  learn  to  do  well.  Come  now,  and  let  us  rea- 
son together,  saith  the  Lord  :  though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they 
shall  be  as  white  as  snow;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they 
shall  be  as  wool."     Isaiah  i    l6,  18. 

But  permit  me  to  address  you  also,  O  believers,  who,  from  a  pain- 
ful and  distressing  view  of  your  sins  and  demerits,  have  fled  to  the 
Mediator,  and  reject,  with  a  holy  displeasure,  your  indweUing  corrup- 
tions >(i)  see  from  v/hat  ye  are  delivered.  God,  the  Lord,  was  terri- 
bly displeased  with  you  also,  on  account  of  your  original  and  actual 
sins :  but  "  Jesus  hath  delivered  you  from  the  wrath  to  come." 
!  Thes.  i.  10,  "  The  Lord  hath  sworn,  that  he  will  not  be  any 
more  wroth  with  you,  nor  rebuke  you."  Isaiah  liv.  9.  '*  There  is  no 
condemnation  to  them  v/hich  are  in  Christ  Jesus."  Rom.  viii.  1. 
^'  To  you  also,"  who'have  considered  yourselves  as  "the  greatest  sin- 
ners, hath  mercy  been  shown."    1  Tim.  i.   13,  16. 

2.  Behold  now,  also,  what  the  Son  of  God  hath  done  for  you. 
From  pure  and  inconceivable  love,  he  took  all  your  original  and  actu- 
al sins  upon  himself,  in  order  to  deliver  you  :  on  account  of  them  he 
subjected  himself  to  the  terrible  displeasure  of  God,  he  suffered  it  in 
its  utmost  extent,  and  thus  satisfied  the  justice  of  God  for  you.  "  To 
redeem  you  from  the  curse  of  th*-.  law,  he  became  a  curse  for  you^** 


1Q2  THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  SIN. 

Gal.  iii.  1 3.  With  what  an  ardent  love  did  he  love  you,  and  how^ 
did  the  zeal  of  God's  house  eat  him  up,  when  your  reproacheSit 
wherewith  ye  had  reproached  the  Lord,  fell  on  him!"  Psalm  Ixix. 
9.  Attend  a  while  to  this  matter,  endeavour  to  lof.^k  deep  into  it, 
that  ye  may  be  filled  with  wonder,  with  abasins^  thoughts  of  your- 
selves, with  joy  and  praise,  and  so  may  be  able  to  comprehend  with 
all  the  saints,  what  is  the  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth,  and 
hei8:ht ;  and  may  know  the  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth  know^ 
ledge,  that  ye  may  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God."  Eph.  iii. 
18,  19. 

Conduct  yourselves  v/ortbily  of  the  inexpressible  love  and  mercy 
that  hath  been  shown  to  you.  How  great  an  aversion  ought  ye  to 
manifest  in  all  your  behaviour  to  your  original  and  actual  sins  !  how 
ought  ye  to  strive  against  them,  and  mortify  them  !  and  how  to  ex- 
ert yourselves  to  conduct  in  a  manner  that  is  pleasing  to  tht*  Lord  ! 
for  what  end  did  '^  Jesus  give  himself  for  you?"  was  it  not,  "that 
he  might  redeem  you  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  you  to  himself  a 
peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works  ?"  Titus  ii.  14.  Let  then 
*'  the  love  of  Christ  constrain  you  to  live  no  more  unto  yourselves, 
but  to  him  who  died  for  you,  and  rose  again-"    2  Cor.  v.  14,  15. 

4.  Have  compassion  and  take  pity  on  tho-^e  poor  and  miserable 
persons,  who  manifest  by  all  their  conversation,  that  they  lie  yet  un-. 
der  the  terrible  wrath  of  God,  and  do  all  that  in  you  lies  to  save 
them  :  *^  Of  some  have  compassion,  making  a  difference,  and  others 
save  with  fear,  pulling  them  out  of  the  fire,"  saith  holy  Jude  in  his, 
epistle,  verse  22,  23. 

Are  ye  yet  often  afraid  of  the  displeasure  of  God,  because  ye  have 
still  so  great  a  power  of  inbred  corruption  in  yourselves,  and  com- 
mit so  many  actual  sins  ?  Well,  the  terrible  displeasure,  and  vin- 
dictive justice  of  God  cannot  assail  you  on  account  of  these  things ; 
Christ  hath  borne  them,  and  delivered  you  theref  om.  It  is  true,  the 
lawworketh  wrath,  and  denounceth  the  curse  against  the  sinner  ;  but 
your  "  sin  was  condemned  in  the  flesh  of , Christ,  that  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  you."  Rom.  viii.  3,  4.  Doth 
the  Lord  render  your  condition  unhappy  by  visiting  you  with  many 
opiritual  and  bodily  afflictions  ?  Those  do  not,  however,  proceed 
from  the  wrath  oi  God,  but  from  his  fatherly  love  and  care  ;  *'  that 
ye  may  be  partakers  of  his  holiness."  Heb.  xii.  5,  11.  Ye  shall  one 
day  be  perfectly  and  for  ever  delivered  from  all  your  calamities,  and 
be  instated  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  God's  blissful  mercy  and  love  : 
"  For,"  as  the  apostle  saith,  2  Cor.  iv.  17,  "our  light  affliction,  which 
is  but  for  a  moment,  worneth  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternssj 
weight  of  glory"     Amen. 


(103) 


THE 


NECESSITY  OF  A  SATISFACTIOT^ 


Y.  LORD'S  DAY. 


Romans  viii.  3,  4.  For  what  the  law  could  not  do,  in  that  it  was 
weak,  through  the  flesh,  God  sending  his  own  Son,  in  the  likeness 
of  sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin  condemned  sin  in  the  flesh  :  that  the 
righteousness  of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,  who  walk  not 
after  the  flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit. 

Q.  13.  Since  then  by  the  righteoiis  judgment  of  God,  we  deserve 
temporal  and  eternal  fiunishrrient,  is  there  no  ivay  by  ivhich  we  may  es- 
CB/ie  that  /lunishmeiit,  and  6e  again  received  into  favour  ? 

A.  God  will  have  his  justice  satisfied  ;  and  therefore  we  must 
make  this  full  satisfaction  either  by  ourselves  or  by  another. 

Q,    13.   Can  we  ourselves,  then,  make  this  satisfaction  ? 

A.  By  no  means;  But  on  the  contrary,  we  daily  increase  our 
debt. 

Q,  14.  Can  there,  then,  be  found  any  where,  one  who  is  a  mere  crea- 
ture, able  to  satisfy  for  us  ? 

None :  for  first,  God  will  not  punish  any  other  creature  for  the 
sin  which  man  hath  committed  ;  and  fhrther,  no  mere  creature  can 
sustain  the  burden  of  God's  eternal  wrath  against  sin,  so  as  to  deliver 
others  from  it, 

Q.   15.    What  sort  of  a  Mediator  and  deliverer  must  we  then  *  eekfor  ? 

A.  For  one  who  is  very  man,  and  perfectly  righteous  ;  and  yet 
more  powerful  than  all  creatures  ;  that  is,  one  who  is  also  very 
God. 


'A. 


.  LTHOUGH  angels  and  men  are  the  most  glorious  of  all  the 
creatures  of  God,  nevertheless,  many  of  the  angels,  and  all  men,  have 
become  the  most  miserable  creatures,  since  they  have  revolted  from; 


\04  TIIE  NECESSITY  OF  A  SATISFACTION. 

their  Maker,  and  have  rebelled  against  him  ;  and  are  therefore  con* 
demned  by  him  to   eternal   punishment :  *'  God  spared  not  the  an-, 
gels  that  sinned,  but  cast  them  down  to  hell."   2  Peter  ii.  4.     Thus, 
also,  all  men,  "  the  whole  world  is  become  i^uilty  before  God ;  for 
they  have  all  sinned,  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God."    Rom.  iii. 
19,  23.     Although  the  nature  of  angels,  yea,  of  the  fallen  angels,  is 
much  more  excellent  than   that  of  men,   nevertheless,   fallen    men 
have  this  eminent  privilege  above  fallen  angels,  that  God   hath    re- 
vealed a  deliverance  for  fallen  men,  but  not  for  fallen  angels.     The 
fallen  angels  have  no  hope  of  deliverance  from  their  misery  ;  for 
»'  God  hath  reserved  them  in  everlasting  chains,  under  darkness  unto 
the  judgment  of  the  great  day."  Jude,  verse  6.    He  hath  not  appointed 
a  mediator  and  deliverer  for  them,  as  he  hath  given  the  man  Christ 
Jesus  to  be  a  mediator  between  God  and  men,  I  Tim.  ii.  5.  who  did 
not  therefore  unite  the  nature  of  angels  to  his  Godhead,  but  that  of 
men  :  for  '*  he  took  not  on  him  the  nature  of  angels,  but  the  seed  of 
Abraham,"  Heb.  ii.  16.     Therefore  Paul  extols  so  highly  the  love  of 
God  to  man,  when  he  saith,  Titus  iii,  4,  5.     "  After  that  the  kind- 
ness and  love  of  God  our  Saviour  toward  man  appeared,  he  saved 
Us,"  Sec.  In  order  now  that  the  miserable  sinner  may  become  capa- 
ble of  the  deliverance,  he  teaches  him  his  misery,  that  he  may  hum- 
ble him,  and  he  reveals  to   him  the   deliverance  in  his  Son.     The 
Holy  Spirit,  who  is  sent  by  Jesus  "  convinceth  the  world  of  sin,  and 
of  righteousness,"  John  xvi.  8,     For  *♦  they  who  are  whole  need  not 
a  physician,  but  they  who  are  sick  :  and  the  Deliverei   came  not  to 
call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repen-ance,"   .'^att.  ix.  12,   13. 

This  the  instructor  also  teacheth  us,  when  he  sreaks  in  his  second 
part  concerning  tlie  deliverance  of  man,  for  which  he  had  prepared 
him  in  his  first  part,  by  teaching  him  his  misery.  The  catechism 
instructs  us  in  three  things  with  respect  to  the  deliverance  :  (1)  the 
conditions  which  are  required  to  the  deliverance,  Question  1 2 —  1 7- 
(2)  The  person  who  delivers,  Question  18.  19.  (3)  The  manner  in 
which  we  become  partakers  '^f  him  by  faith.  Lord's  day  vii. — xxxi* 

In  this  Lord's  day  we  see, 

I.  That  a  satisfaction  to  the  justice  of  God  is  necessary,  in  order 
that  we  may  be  delivered.  Question  12. 

II.  By  whom  the  satisfaction  cannot,  and  by  whom  it  can  be  made, 
Questions  13,  14,  15. 

I.  The  instructor  saith  that  a  satisfaction  to  the  justice  of  God  is 
necessary,  in  order  tu  our  deliverance.  The  sinner  hath  by  his  sins 
deserved,  according  to  the  righteous  judgrpent  of  God,  temporal 
and  eternal  punishment.     Therefore  it  belongs  to  his  deliverance, 


V.  LORD'S  BAY,  Q.  12— l5o  105 

(a)  *'  that  he  should  escape  from  that  punishment"  by  a  forgiveness 
of  his  sins,  whereby  he  is  discharged  from  his  guilt,  so  that  God  is 
no  more  wroth  with  him,  nor  rebukes  him,  and  there  is  no  condem- 
nation to  him.  In  this  manner  doth  the  apostle  describe  the  deliver- 
ance, saying,  "  We  have  redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins,"  Eph.  i.  7.  (b)  "  That  he  should  be  again  received  into 
favour."  whereby  he  is  restored  to  the  kindness  and  love  of  God, 
and  obtains  grace  and  glory.  The  same  apostle  teacheth  (.;s  this, 
when  he  saith,  ^  The  Holy  Ghost  is  the  earnest  of  our  inheritance^ 
until  the  redemption  ot  the  purchased  possession,"  Eph.  i.  14. 
^  Concerning,  and  with  respect  to  such  a  deliverance,  a  distressed 
sinner,  whom  the  catechism  introduceth  here  as  speaking,  asks, 
Whether  there  be  any  way  to  obtain  a  deliverance  ?  For  in  this  man- 
ner IS  the  elect  sinner  affected,  when  God  disposes  him  for  u  deliv- 
erance :  for  (a)  he  is  convinced  ef  his  abominable  temper  and  con- 
duct ;  he  sees  that  he  is  guilty  in  the  highest  degree,  according  to 
the  righteous  judgment  of  God,  and  that  not  only  with  a  buie  con- 
templation, and  with  his  judgment,  but  so  that  he  lays  it  to  heart : 
he  sees  with  shame  and  aversion  from  himself  his  horrible  deformity; 
this  distresses  and  afflicts  him,  so  that  he  cries  out,  '*  Wo  unto  me 
that  I  have  sinned,"  Lam  v.  16.  With  Ephraim  "he  bemoans 
himself,  repents,  is  instructed,  smites  upon  his  thigh,  is  ashamed, 
yea,  even  confounded,"  Jer.  xxxi.  18,  19.  (b)  He  is  also  desirous  to 
be  delivered ;  as  he  is  at  first  exceedingly  dark  and  confused,  and 
doth  not  rightly  know  the  true  way  to  escape  punishment,  and  to 
be  again  received  into  favour,  therefoi  e  he  begins  to  exert  himself, 
in  order  that  he  may  do  all  that  he  can  devise,  and  that  his  confused 
apprehensions  suggest,  as  conducive  to  his  deliverance  :  one  while 
he  resolves  that  he  will  not  sin  any  more,  and  then  that  he  will  serve 
God  better :  but  he  cannot  advance,  the  power  of  his  conuptions 
forces  him  repeatedly  out  of  his  way,  and  when  he  expects  enlarge- 
ment under  his  distress,  he  is  afflicted  still  more  than  he  was  before, 
because  he  sees  by  experience  that  matters  become  worse  with  him 
instead  of  better.  What  shall  he  do?  he  will  pray  most  earnestly  to 
God,  that  he  would  be  gracious  to  him  :  but  as  soon  as  he  begins, 
he  finds  his  access  unto  God  so  barred  up,  that  he  cannot  approach 
to  him,  and  he  becomes  so  confused  that  he  cannot  utter  in  an 
orderly  manner  a  single  sentence,  capable  of  moving  God.  He  begins 
anew,  but  it  doth  not  avail ;  this  disturbs  and  perplexes  him  so,  that 
he  is  ready  to  despair  of  himself,  and  of  all  that  he  doth,  and  ''  he 
gaith,  There  is  no  hope  ;  for  he  doth  not  find  the  life  of  his  handi 
and  he  is  grieved,"  Isaiah  Ivii.  10.  Yea,  he  is  afraid  that  there  ii  nt^ 

3 


106  THE  NECESSITY  OF  A  SATISFACTION. 

help  for  him,  and  that  lie  i<  perhaps  a  reprobate  ;  and  therefore  ht 
sometimes  resolves  that  he  will  not  endeavour  any  more  to  be  saved. 
But  his  distrcbs  and  fear  of  perdition  will  not  suffer  him  to  rest^ 
until,  being  wholly  stripped  and  bare,  he  asks  the  word  and  servants 
of  God,  *'  what  he  must  do  to  be  saved  ?"  like  the  jailer,  Acts  xvi.  30. 

What  doth  the  instructor  now  do  with  such  a  person  ?  doth  he  say, 
like  physicians  of  no  value,  Thou  must  not  be  so  sad,  this  Sorrow- 
fulness proceeds  from  Satan,  thou  must  banish  it,  God  is  merciful, 
Christ  hath  died  for  us,  thou  must  beheve  this  firmly,  forsake  evil, 
and  do  good,  and  pray  to  God  ?  no :  for  this  is  only  daubing  with 
untempered  mortar,  it  neither  heals,  nor  relieves  the  soul.  But  the 
instructor,  desirous  that  a  godly  sorro^v  should  penetrate  the  sinner, 
that  the  tranquillity  of  his  mind  may  be  perfect  and  established  by  a 
perfect  righteousness  of  an  all-sufficient  Mediator,  detains  him  a  while 
under  his  concern,  yea,  he  increaseth  it  by  showing  him,  that  there 
is  no  way  to  obtain  deliverance,  as  long  as  the  justice  of  God  is  not 
satisfied  :  he  saith,  God  will  have  his  justice  satisfied,"  &c. 

The  justice  of  God  denotes  here  his  natural  right,  by  which  he  is 
entitled,  on  account  of  his  glory  and  sovereignty,  to  require  a  perfect 
obedience  of  man.  Therefore  the  prophet  saith,  "  Who  would  not 
fear  thee,  thou  King  of  nations  ?  for  to  thee  doth  it  appertain,"  Jer. 
X.  7,  and  when  man  doth  not  obey  him,  to  punish  him  temporally 
and  eternally.  Even  "  the  Gentiles  know  the  judgment  (or  right)  of 
God,  that  they  who  do  such  things  are  worthy  of  death,"  Rom.  i. 
32.  This  right  God  hath  expressed  in  his  law,  and  it  is  therefore 
called,  "  the  righteousness  of  the  law,"  Rom.  viii.  4.  "  For  Moses 
describeth  the  righteousness  which  is  of  the  law,  that  the  man  who 
doth  these  things  shall  live  by  them,"  Rom.  x.  5,  and  "  cursed  is 
every  one  who  continueth  not  in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the 
book  of  the  law  to  do  them,"  Gal.  iii.  10. 

This  is  satisfied,  (I)  by  suffering  fully  and  completely  the  punish- 
ment threatened  in  consequence  of  sin  :  thus  "  God'  made  his  Son, 
who  knew  no  sin,  to  be  sin,"  2  Cor.  v.  21,  to  wit,  by  inflicting  the 
punishment  of  sin  upon  him.  This  is  indeed  sufficient  to  deliver  the 
sinner  from  punishment,  but  it  doth  not  give  him  a  right  to  life  ;  and 
therefore  a  satisfaction  requires  also,  (2)  a  perfect  obedience,  which 
the  law  of  God  demands  in  order  to  life  :  **  By  the  obedience  of  one 
many  shall  be  made  righteous,"  Rom.  v.  19. 

God  *'  will  "  have  his  justice  satisfied.  The  Socinians  deny  that 
God  will  have  this,  and  they  conceive  that  such  a  satisfaction  is  not 
necessary  ;  yea,  that  God  can  recede  from  his  right,  and  that  he  hath 
actually  receded  from  it,  and  hath  therefore  abolished  the  law  of 


V^  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  12—15.  i07 

Moses,  and  established  a  better  law  by  Christ,  as  a  new  lawgiver^ 
=,nstead  of  the  old  law.  The  Remonstrants  will  indeed  admit,  that 
satisfaction  must  be  made  to  God,  in  order  to  our  deUvt^rance  ;  but 
not  that  the  justice  of  God  must  be  perfectly  satisfied  :  but  that 
nothing  more  is  necessary,  than  that  the  will  of  God  should  be  satis- 
fied, which  doth  not  demand  all  that  the  sinner  hath  forfeited  ;  and 
that  God,  by  a  gracious  estimation  accepts  of  this,  instead  of  a  per- 
fect satisfaction.  And  they  must  speak  ^lus,  if  they  will  maintain 
their  doctrine,  that  Christ  suffered  for  all  men  ;  for  if  he  satisfied  the 
justice  of  God  for  ail  men,  then  all  men  must  be  saved.  Now  all 
men  are  not  saved,  even  according  to  the  opinion  of  our  adversaries, 
and  so  Christ  could  not  have  satisfied  the  justice  of  God  for  them. 
And  therefore  they  say,  that  he  hath  by  his  death  satisfied  the  will 
of  God,  and  that  God  was  moved  thereby  to  establish  a  covenant  of 
grace  with  all  men,  and  to  require  of  them,  as  the  condition  of  that 
covenant,  faith,  obedience  and  perseverance,  and  that  he  gives  them 
a  sutiicient  grace  to  fulfil  those  conditions. 

This  doctrine  is  opposed  by  all  the  orthodox,  who  say  that  "God 
will  have  his  justice  satisfied."  But  how  doth  God  will  this  ?  only 
by  his  decree,  and  mere  good  pleasure,  by  which  he  could  even  have 
willed  to  forgive  sin  without  a  satisfaction,  as  he  wills  many  things 
by  his  decree,  which  he  might  have  willed  otherwise,  as  that  there 
should  be  more  or  fei^^er  men  than  there  are  ?  Thus  some  divines 
think  on  this  subject.  Or  doth  God  will  that  there  should  be  a  satis- 
faction, on  account  of  his  holy  and  righteous  nature,  whereby  he 
cannot  be  willing  to  forgive  sin  without  a  satisfaction  :  for  instance, 
God  will  be  obeyed  by  his  reasonable  creatures,  and  it  is  his  will  that 
what  is  reasonable  should  be  holy,  and  he  cannot  will  otherwise  ? 
This  we  maintain  with  the  most  divines,  and  this  is  the  doctrine  of 
the  catechism  also,  as  appears  from  the  words,  "  The  justice  of  Gotl 
requires  that  sin,  which  is  committed  against  the  most  high  majesty 
of  God,  be  punished  with  extreme  punishment,"  Questisn  2,  "  God 
will  have  his  justice  satisfied,"  Question  12.  "  With  respect  to  the 
justice  and  truth  of  God,  satisfaction  can  be  made  for  our  sins  no 
otherwise  than  by  the  death  of  the  Son  of  God,"  Question  40.  And 
we  do  not  teach  without  reason,  that  God  cannot,  without  a  satisfac- 
tion to  his  justice,  suffer  the  sinner  to  escape  punishment,  and  re- 
ceive him  again  into  favour:  for,  (besides  what  we  have  safid  on  the 
foregoing  Lord's  day,  that  sin  must  necessarily  be  punished)  Paui 
saith. 

1.  Heb.  ii.  10.  "  It  became  him,  for  whom  are  all  things,  and  by 
whom  are  all  things,  in  bringing  many  son^  to  glory,  to  make  th^ 


m         THE  NECESSITY  OF  A  SATISFACTION- 

Captain  of  their  salvation  perfect  through  sufferings."  To  make 
this  Captain  perfect  through  sufferings,  signifies  to  make  him  a  sacri- 
fic-.  by  his  sufferings,  and  thereby  to  bring  the  children  of  God  to 
salvation.  This  now  became  the  high  Ciod,  of,  and  through  whom, 
are  a'l  things ;  and  it  would  not  have  become  him,  either  to  bring 
his  children  to  glory  without  such  a  satisfying  sacrifice,  or  if  he 
pould  have  done  it  without  that  sufferini^,  to  subject  his  Son,  never- 
theless to  such  a  painful  'suffering.  The  sufferings  of  Christ  were 
certainly  unnecessary,  nnd  to  no  purpose,  if  God  could  forgive  sin  of 
his  mere  good  pleasure  and  free  will,  without  satisfaction. 

2.  It  was  surely  an  evidence  of  the  greatest  love,  that  God  gave 
his  Son  to  be  a  propitiation,  and  punished  him  for  the  sinner.  See 
Rom.  v.  8.  I  John  iv.  10.  But  there  would  not  have  been  such  an 
illustrious  display  of  love  in  thiS,  if  God  could  have  received  the  sin- 
ner into  favour  without  a  satisfaction  ;  since  it  would  be  a  great  in- 
stance of  love  to  the  Son  of  God,  and  to  the  sinner,  if  he  did  not  de- 
mand a  satisfaction,  and  forgive  him  his  sin  for  nought. 

3.  The  apostle  saith  also,  that  "  God  hath  set  Christ  Jesus  forth 
to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare  his  right- 
eousness for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are  past  during  the  forbear- 
ance of  God."*  Rom,  iii.  25.  During  the  forbearance  of  God,  that 
is,  during  the  time  of  the  Old  Testament,  many  sins  were  commit- 
ted, and  many  of  them  forgiven,  while  there  was  yet  no  satisfaction 
made  for  sin,  and  it  appeared  thus,  that  God  was  merciful  and  for- 
bearing, but  not  that  he  was  righteous  (or  just).  God  then,  that  he 
might  declare  his  righteousness  in  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  set  his  Son 
forth  in  his  sufferings  for  that  purpose  ;  but  why  was  this  necessa- 
ry ?  the  sins  w^ere  already  forgiven,  if  the  satisfaction  were  not  so 
necessary. 

4.  Add  to  this  what  the  apostle  saith,  Heb.  x.  4,  "  It  is  impossible 
that  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats  should  take  away  sin."  Why  is 
this  impossible  ?  Only  because  it  did  not  please  God  to  take  away 
sins  by  the  blood  of  beasts  ?  No  :  but  also  bccatise  the  blood  of  irra- 
tional creatures  bears  no  proportion  to  the  sins  of  rational  creatures, 
which  are  too  abominable  and  filthy  to  be  washen  away  by  such  irra- 
tional blood.  If  God  could  then  take  away  sins  without  a  satisfaction, 
why  could  they  not  be  taken  away  by  the  blood  of  beasts  offered  up 
in  sacrifice  ?  Since  this,  according  to  Heb.  x  1,  4,  1 1,  is  impossible, 
\t  is  also  impossible  that  God  should  forgive  sin  without  a  satisfac- 

*  In  rendering  this  passage,  we  have  followed  the  Dutch  translation  ;  the 
reason  for  which  here,  aa  well  as  elsewhere,  we  have  mentioned  in  cur  adver- 
^aen|)cn^ 


V.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  12^15.  109 

tioa.  If  any  wish  to  see  these  reasons  enlarged,  and*  enforced 
with  others,  we  refer  them  to  Witsius's  Kconomy  of  the  covenants 
hook  1.  chapter  5,  an;l  book  I(.  chapter  8. 

It  is  needless  to  object  here,  (a)  that  God  may  recede  from  his 
strict  right,  since  man  ran  do  this,  and  that  it  is  an  eminent  virtue 
to  forgive  injuries  with  a  noble  greatness  of  mind  ;  for  though  this 
is  true  with  respect  to  private  injuries,  which  one  man  doth  to  an- 
other ;  and  although  man  is  bound  to  do  this,  because  one  man  is  a 
neighbour  of  another,  and  the  law  of  God  obligeth  him  to  it ;  never* 
theless,  God  cannot  therefore  recede  fro  -n  his  right,  since  he  is  not 
bound  by  any  law  to  exercise  such  a  virtue  toward  his  creatures ; 
and  since  he  cannot  reeede  from  his  right  as  a  Judge  in  punishing 
sins,  who  m.ust  do  right,  (b)  Were  the  sins  under  the  Old  Testa- 
ment forgiven,  without  a  foregoing  satisfaction  of  the  divme  justice, 
they  were,  nevertheless,  not  forgiven,  except  on  account  of  the  sat- 
isfaction of  the  Surety  who  was  ro  come.  See  this  Kom.  iii.  25. 
Heb.  ix.  15,  In  order  that  the  ancient  believers  might  look  stead- 
fiistly  to  the  future  satisfaction  of  the  Messiah,  God  described  him, 
promised,  and  shadowed  him  forth  to  them  in  the  ancient  sacrifices. 
See  Isaiah  liii.  Acts  x.  43.  Coll.  ii.  17.  Heb.  x.  1,  14.  (c)  God 
could  not,  as  the  Socinians  conceive,  graciously  abolish  the  law 
which  threatens  the  curse  in  consequence  of  the  least  transgression  • 
and  establish  another,  which  should  require  nothing  but  faith  ;  for 
the  law  is  the  transcript  of  God's  holiness,  which  cannot  be  expres- 
sed bv  any  other  law,  ueless  the  divine  holiness  can  have  another 
form  than  it  had  before.  God  would  then  also  deny  his  truth  :  for 
he  hath  said,  "  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die  ;"  and  he  would 
now  say,  thou  shalt  not  die  according  to  my  threatening,  although 
my  justice  is  not  satisfied  for  thy  sin.  Doth  the  sinner  not  die  noWf 
it  is  not  in  consequence  of  a  hew  law,  but  of  a  satisfaction  for  the 
establishment  of  the  law,  Roiii.  iii.  2  1,  31.  Rom.  viii.  3,  4.  (d) 
They  think  that  God  could  bestow  his  Spirit,  as  well  as  his  Son,  to 
aRect  the  sinner  with  sorrow  for  his  sin,  and  induce  him  lo  confess 
th^t  he  had  dishonoured  (iod,  that  he  might  thus  sanctify  the  name 
cf  God;  and  that  therefore  a  satisfaction  was  not  necessary  for  this 
purpose.  But  this  is  an  idle  pretence  ;  for  this  would  be  an  act  of 
kindness^  and  not  of  justice.  See  Zech.  xii.  JO.  Now  God  must 
surely  be  glorified  in  his  justice,  as  well  as  in  his  kindness,  as  he  is 
by  the  satisfaction,  Eph.  i.  7*  (e)  They  say  further  to  no  purpose,^ 
t.hat  if  vve  hold  a  satisfaction  to  be  necessary  from  the  nature  of 
God,  we  do  then  lim't  God  too  much  with  respect  to  his  power  and 
liberty  ;  but'can  we  indeed  say  nftt  Paul  iim-ts  tlie  Lord  too  much;^ 
^hen  he  tsacheth  that  "  God  cannot  lie."    litus  i,  2.  Heb.  yi,   18, 


1  Id  THE  NECESSITY  OF  A  SATISFACTION. 

It  is  no  impotency  nor  imperfection  in  God,  that  he  cannot  forgJYc 
tin  without  a  satisfaction,  any  more  than  that  I'*  he  cannot  be  terript* 
cd  of  evil,"  James  iii.  13.  (f;  Finally,  some  say  that  God  might,  ia 
the  work  of  redemption,  have  willed  somethi'i^  different  from  what 
he  hath  willed  For  instance,  God  willed  that  Christ  should  s  aisff 
for  some  sinners  ;  but  he  might  have  willed  that  he  should  satisfy  fop 
all.  And  so  they  conceive  that  God,  who  hath  now  willed  that  satis- 
faction  should  be  made  for  sin,  might  have  willed  to  forgive  sin  with- 
out a  satisfaction.  But  a  satisfaction  for  some,  or  for  all,  affects 
not  the  divine  holiness  and  justice,  and  so  not  the  nature  of  thesatis> 
fcic'i'jn,  but  oaly  ths  ohjecr.s  of  the  satisfaction.  God  mig'tt  have  de- 
creed from  all  eternity  that  his  Son  should  suffer  for  all  men,  but 
not  that  some,  or  many  sinners,  should  escape  punishment,  and  ht 
again  received  into  favour  without  a  satisfaction. 

Since  now  a  satisfaction  to  the  justice  of  God  is  necessary,  we 
therefore  conclude  "  that  we  must  make  this  satisfaction,  either  by 
ourselves,  or  by  another." 

"  We  must  make  full  satisfaction  then,  either  by  ourselves  or  by 
another."  We  should  satisfy  by  ourselves,  if  we  suffered  and  fulfil- 
led in  our  own  persons  the  selfi-ame  things,  which  aje  required  hj 
the  law,  in  its  strictest  demands,  and  if  this  should  deliver  us  with- 
out any  intervening  grace,  or  forgiveness  :  for  it  is  the  judgment 
of  God  that  they  who  do  evil  things  are  worthy  of  death."  Rom.  i. 
52.  This  is  called  by  lawyers  soliaio,  payment,  and  by  divines,  "  the 
righteousness  of  the  law,"  accorc'ing  Rum.  x  5.  And  we  should 
satisfy  by  another,  if  some  other  should  take  our  pUce,  as  a  surety, 
to  stisfy  for  us,  and  in  our  stead  This  would,  nevertheless,  not  ef- 
fect our  deliverance  by  itself,  but  only  by  a  favourable  permission  of 
the  divine  Judge,  who  should  admit  the  surety,  impute  our  debt  to 
him,  and  his  righteousness  to  us.  And  we  should  thus  satisfy  by 
another,  not  actively  and  indeed,  but  passively ;  inasmuch  as 
the  satisfaction  is  made  by  another  in  our  stead,  and  by  imputa- 
tion. Arid  therefore  we  cannot  say  that  believers  satisfy  properly 
by  t!ie  surety,  as  if  the  Son  of  God  were  not  a.i  absolute  surety,  cjC^ 
firomisso^'^  under  the  Old  Testament,  who  did  not  take  the  debt  upon 
himself  absolutely,  but  conditionally,  to  wit,  if  the  elect  should  not 
mak-  satisfaction  themselves,  and  that  he  left  it  on  them,  and  that 
God  did  on  this  occount  continually  charge  and  upbraid  them  with 
their  sins  ;  for  then  they  must  have  proffered  the  surety  themseves, 
and  God  would  not  have  trusted  that  his  ^on  would  certainly  satisfy  i 
neither  would  he  then  have  been  "  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
■w«rlU,"  Rev.  xiii.  8.     Neither  wcndd  the  sacritfiaes  of  the  Old  Tes- 


V.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.   12— 15,  HI 

tament  have  been  shadows,  which  certified,  like  sacraments,  the 
old  believers,  that  he  would  truly  take  away  sins  ;  and  they  would 
not  have  been  admitted  into  heaven,  inasmuch  as  they  were  still  sub- 
ject to  guilt.  Therefore  we  must  say  that  we  satisfy  passively  by 
another,  and  throtigh  the  gracious  imputation  of  God  ;  and  this  is 
called  by  lawyers,  satisfaction  satisfaction  ;  and  by  divines,  "  the  right- 
eousness of  the  gospel,  and  of  faith,"  according  to  Rora.  i.  16,  17-^ 
X.  6,  11;  because  the  law  knoweth  nothing  of  such  a  satisfaction,  and 
it  is  revealed  only  in  the  gospel,  and  received  by  faith,  although  the 
law  cannot  disapprove  of  it,  if  the  Lawgiver  will  admit  and  accept 
it ;  for  "  the  law  is  not  made  void  by  faith,  but  established."  Rom. 
iii.  31. 

This  satisfaction,  whether  it  be  made  by  ourselves,  or  by  another, 
must  be  a  "  full  "  satisfaction.  All  that  the  law  threatens  must  be 
suffered,  and  all  that  it  commands  must  be  obeyed  :  for  otherwise 
God  will  still  be  "  wroth  "  with  the  sinner,  "  and  deliver  him  to  the 
tormentors,  till  he  shall  pay  all  that  is  due  to  him,"  Matt,  xviii.  34. 
And  therefore  the  acceptilati*^  or  gracious  estimation  of  the  Remon- 
strants, by  which  God  would  accept  of  a  part  of  the  satisfaction, 
instead  of  the  whole,  cannot  be  admitted  here  :  for  "  the  judgment 
of  God  is  according  to  truth,"  Rom   ii.  2. 

But  can  a  satisfaction  for  a  guilty  person  by  another  be  admitted 
before  the  divine  tribunal  ?  The  Socinians  say,  nay,  because  humau 
tribunals  will  not  permit  an  innocent  person  to  be  punished,  and  to 
make  satisfaction,  as  a  surety  for  another  who  is  guilty  ;  but  we  con- 
ceive that  this  may  very  properly  be  admitted  before  the  divine  tri- 
bunal, if  the  supreme  Judge  will  graciously  permit  it ;  for  (a)  a 
surety  is  admitted  in  cases  of  debt  by  a  secular  judge.  We  may 
derive  a  proof  from  this,  because  the  Socinians  themselves  infer  from 
suretiship  for  debts,  that  grace  and  pardon  cannot  be  exercised,  if 
Christ  made  a  perfect  satisfaction,  (b)  One  man  hath  also  frequently 
been  permitted  to  become  a  surety  for  another  in  cases  of  guilt,  as 
Reuben  and  Judah  becam.e  sureties  for  Benjamin,  Gen.  xlii,  37.  xliii. 
9.  xliv.  32,  33.  See  also  Rom.  v.  7.  (c)  It  hath  appeared  from  the 
seventh  question,  that  the  sin  of  Adam,  whereby  he  became  guilty, 
was  imputed  to  us  :  why  then  cannot  our  guilt  also  be  imputed  to  a 
proper  surety  ?  (d)  It  will  appear  moreover  hereafter  that  Christ 
became  a  surety,  and  that  he  satisfied ;  and  was  therefore  admitted 
before  the  divine  tribunal,  (e)  Cannot  one  be  admitted  as  a  surety  for 
another  before  a  human  tribunal  in  case  of  guiit,  it  is  because  no 
human  judge  is  lord  of  the  life  of  another,  as  neither  is  any  man  lord 
of  his  own"  life,  so  as  to  become  a  surety  for  another  x   it  would  also 


VH  Ti^E  NECESSITY  OF  A  SATISFACTION. 

be  an  injury  to  the  community,  if  a  good  citizen  should  perish  in 
making  satisfaction  for  another,  and  the  evil  citizen  should  remain 
alive  ;  but  \ye  must  consider  matters  otherwise  before  the  divine  tri- 
bunal, since  Gr>d  is  lord  of  every  man's  life,  and  the  surety,  who  is 
required  here,  is  lord  of  his  own  life,  according:  to  the  fifteenth  ques- 
tion :  he  can  also  deliver  himself  from  death,  and  can  reforii*  and 
sanctify  the  abominab'e  sinner,  and  so  the  kingdom  of  God  will  not 
be  injured,  but  profited  by  his  death. 

But  would  not  God  then  recede  from  his  right,  contraty  to  what 
hath  been  ta'ight  before  ?  no,  for  God's  right  would  be  satisfied,  and 
there  would  only  be  a  gracious  translation,  by  which  God's  right,  and 
the  guilt  of  the  sinner  would  be  transferred  from  the  sinner  to  the 
^^rety,  which  was  also  done,  according  to  Rom.  iii.  20,  21.  viii.  3, 
4.  2  Cor.  V.  21. 

If  the  sinner  could  now  make  full  satisfaction  by  himself,  or  by 
another    he  would  be  delivered  ;  but  it  is  certain,  that  he  cannot 
satisfy  by  himself.     The  Papists  imagine,  "  that  we  can  make  a  par- 
tial satisfaction  by  ourselves.,  if  we  do  not  daily  increase  our  debt  by 
adding  sm  to  sin."     They  distinguish  between  an  equivalent   satis- 
faction, which  we  cannot  make  by  ourselves,  and  between  an  imper- 
fect satisfaction,  which  should  nevertheless  be  sufficient,  because  God 
should  forgive  sins  in  consequence  of  it  with  a  certain  fitness.     Wc 
can  effect  this  imperfect  satisfaction  by  many  good  works  and  suffer- 
ings, in  and  after  this  life,  according  to  the  Romanists  ;  but  the  word 
of  God  doth  not  acknowledge  an  imperfect  satisfaction,  but  only  a 
perfect  one,  and  "  man  cannot  answer  God  one       a  thousand,  whea 
he  contends  with  him,"  and  demands  satisfaction,  according  to  Job 
X.  2,  3,  Psalm  cxxx.  3.  and  besides  this  we  say,  (a)  that  the  price  of 
the  redemption  necessary  for  a  satisfaction  is  too  precious  for  a  man 
to  pay  it ;  "  he  owes  ten  thousand  talents,"  perfect  obedience  and 
«ternal  punishment,  and  "  he  hath  nothing  wherewith  to  pay»"  Matt, 
xvii.  24,  25.  (b)  <'  We  also  increase  our  debt  daily."     This  is  done 
not  only  by  those,  who  are  uncommonly  wicked,   as  the  spiritual 
**  Babylon,  whose  sins,"  heaped  one  upon  another,    "  reach  unto 
heaven,"  Rev.  xviii.  5,  but  by  all  other  men,  who  are  still  under  a 
broken  covenant  of  works,  of  which  the  instructor  speaks  here,  <^  hav- 
ing, according  to  the  righteous  judgment  of  G©d,  deserved  temporal 
and  eternal  punishments."  Sec  how  they  are  exhibited  in  their  com- 
plicated iniquities,  Rom.  iii.  9 — 19.     Believers  themselves  do  all 
offend  in  many  instances,  James  iii'  2.  See  also    1  Kings  viii.  46. 
Rev.  XX.  9.  Eccl.  vii.  20.  (c)  Let  us  admit,  that  we  should  hencefor- 
ward be  perfectly  holy  and  sinless,  wc  could  not  thereby  atone  for 
our  past  guilt,  because  we  owe  this  both  at  present  and  in  future, 


V.  tORD'S  DAY,  Q.  12—15,  112 

and  are  thus  unprofitable  servants,  Luke  xviii.  10,  and  therefore  our 
former  debt  would  remain  unpaid,  and  we  have  nothing  wherewith 
to  satisfy  for  it. 

But  "  can  there  not  be  found  any  where  one,  v/ho  is  a  mere  crea- 
ture, able  to  satisfy  for  us  ?"  If  a  mere  creature  should  satisfy  for  us, 
he  behooved  to  be  either  a  rational,  or  an  irrational  creature.  A  ra- 
tional creature  is  either  a  mere  man,  or  an  angel ;  but  no  mere  man, 
who  is  not  more  than  a  man,  can  satisfy  the  justice  of  God  for 
another.  For,  (1)  no  man  is  lord  of  his  own  life,  and  hath  therefore 
no  right  to  become  a  surety  for  another,  in  order  to  bear  his  guilt : 
therefore  God  also  rejected  the  proffer  of  Moses,  "  that  he  would  be 
blotted  out  of  the  book  of  God  for  the  people,"  Exod.  xxxii.  30 — 35, 

(2)  That  ^Vhich  a  man  would  be  willing  to  do  for  another,  he  oweth 
for  himself;  for  "  every  man  shall  bear  his  own  burden,"  Gal.  vi.  5. 

(3)  A  man  cannot  satisfy  for  himself,  as  we  have  shown  before ; 
how  shall  he  then  satisfy  for  another  ?  (4)  He  who  should  satisfy 
for  another,  would  be  obliged  to  render  that  other,  by  an  almighty 
and  heart-changing  grace,  a  partaker  of  his  satisfaction  and  righteous- 
ness, if  it  should  be  profitable  to  him.  Now  no  mere  man  can  do 
this  :  he  can  at  most  only  "  plant  and  water  ;  but  God  giveth  the 
increase,"  I  Cor,  iii.  4,  5.  (5)  Yea,  if  a  mere  man  were  even  able  tc 
do  this,  he  would  not  be  deemed  worthy  to  do  it,  because  those  who 
were  delivered  by  him,  would  be  obliged  to  offer  him  the  divine 
honours  of  faith^  love,  hope,  fear  and  worship,  since  he  would  truly 
have  merited  such  honours  of  them  -  but  no  mere  man  may  be  hon- 
oured thus.  See  Isaiah  xliv,  2  1 — 25.  Jer.  xvii,  5 — 8.  (6)  Add  to  this, 
that  "no  mere  man  can  sustain  the  burden  of  God's  wrath,  so  as  to 
deliver  others  from  it."  Trulv  the  wrath  of  God  is  dreadful  and  in- 
supportable :  hear  what  an  eminently  holy  man  saith  of  it,  "  Thou, 
even  thou  art  to  be  feared,  and  who  may  stand  in  thy  sight,  when 
once  thou  art  angry  ?"  Psalm  Ixxvi.  7.  xc.  11.  And  therefore  "  none 
can  by  any  means  redeem  liis  brother,  nor  give  to  God  a  ransom  for 
him  ;  for  the  redemption  of  their  soul  is  precious,  and  it  ceaseth  for 
ever,"  Psalm  xhx.  7,  8. 

Say  not,  could  not  God  create  a  new  man,  who  should  be  perfectly 
holy,  and  endue  him  with  such  strength,  that  he  would  be  able  to 
satisfy,  to  sustain  his  wrath,  and  effectually  apply  his  righteousness 
to  another :  for  thou  shouldest  not  inquire  wisely  concerning  this, 
since  no  such  man  can  proceed  from  the  corrupt  posterity  of  Adam, 
nor  love  the  sinner  as  his  neighbour,  and  thus  sa^sfy  the  demand  of 
tbe  law  :  moreover  no  man  is  capable  -tof  such  power,  inasmuch  a* 

T 


114  THE  NECESSITY  OF  A  SATISFACTION. 

it  is  an  almig^hty  power,  since  he  would  then  be  God,  and  no  longef 
a  creature,  which  is  impossible. 

An  anj^el,  aU)iou5:h  he  excells  in  strength,  and  can  slay  a  wholtJ 
army  of  a  hundred  fourscore  and  five  thousand  n^en,  cannot  satisfy 
for  a  sinner  ,  for  an  anc^el  hath  no  right  to  become  a  surety  for  the 
sinner,  and  he  would  not  be  able  to  apply  tlie  rir!;htcov,snes8  procu- 
red bv  him,  and  would  not  be  worthy  to  bt  adn'itteci  lo  such  an  hon- 
ourable work ;  and  besides  this.  "  God  will  not  punish  any  other 
creatur'*"  but  man,  "  fo"  the  sin  whirh  man  bath  committed,"  be- 
cause no  an^el  can  sufter  tne  iiUman  punishment  of  death,  so  as  to 
satisfv  the  demand  of  the  hiW,  nor  love  his  ici2:hbonr  as  h'msclf, 
sinc^  he  is  not  a  neighbour  of  man.  "  Moreover^  no  mere  creature" 
■(as  an  angel  is)  '^  can  sustain  the  burden  of  God's  eternal  wrath,  so 
as  to  deliver  others  therefrom."  The  glorious  angers  cannot  endure 
even  the  bright  lustre  of  the  most  holy  countenance  of  God  :  they 
must  hide  and  cover  themselves  before  it,  Isaiah  vi.  2,  3  *'  The 
devils,"  though  exceedingly  mi,a;hty  and  dreadful,  *'  tremble  before 
the  one  only  God,'*  James  iii.  19.  How  earnestly  "do  they  pray, 
that  they  may  not  be  tormented  before  the  time,  and  be  sent  away 
into  the  deep  !"  Luke  viii.  27 — 31. 

Cannot  a  satisfaction  be  made  by  any  rational  creature,  perhaps 
irrational  creatures,  either  living  or  dead,  may  effect  something,  if 
we  offer  them  up  to  God  for  an  atonement.  This  was  the  opinion, 
not  only  of  the  blind  heathens,  but  also  of  the  carnal  Jews  who 
sought  their  righteousness  by  keeping  the  moral  law,  and  when  they 
were  guilty  of  sinning  in  one  instance  or  another,  imagined  that  they 
should  be  able  to  atone  for  their  sins  by  bringing  this  or  that  gift  for 
a  sacrifice.  This  notion  was  also  somewhat  specious,  since  God  him- 
self had  enjoined  by  the  ceremonial  law,  the  sacrificial  service  of  sin 
offerings,  trespass  offerings,  and  sacrifices  of  atonement ;  but  this  is  a 
false  pretence.  The  justice  of  God  cannot  be  satisfied  by  any  sacri- 
ficial service  :  "  for  it  is  impossible,  that  the  blood  of  bulls  and  of 
goats  should  take  away  sin,"  Heb.  x.  4*  There  is  no  proportion  be- 
tween irrational  or  inanimate  sacrifices,  and  the  guilt  of  the  soul : 
God  doth  not  eat  the  flesh  of  bulls,  nor  drink  the  blood  of  goats," 
Psalm,  1  11.  When  the  Jews  would  appease  God  by  their  sacri- 
ficing, he  then  said,  that  "  he  had  not  required  this  at  their  hands,'* 
Jer.  vii.  21,  22,  and  he  rejected  it,  Isaiah  i.  13.  Jer.  vi.  20.  Micha  vi. 
6,  7,  8.  When  he  demands  a  satisfaction,  he  then  refiiseth  the  sac- 
rificial service,  and  he  substitutes  a  more  perfect  service  in  the  stead 
of  it.  See  Heb.  x.  1 — 9,  Did  Ciod  himself  enjoin  sacrifices  for  atone- 
Tsient,  it  was  however  not  done  in  the  broken  covenant  of  works,  in 


V.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  12—15.  115 

©rder  that  men  might  escape  punishment,  and  be  again  received  in- 
to favour  ;  but  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  which  was  estabUshed  with 
Israel,  Exod.  xix.  which  supposeth  a  satisfaction  by  a  sufficient  sure- 
ty. And  thus,  all  those  offerings,  enjoined  by  the  church-law  of 
Israel,  did  not  serve  to  effect  a  real  satisfaction  and  atonement ;  but 
to  shadow  forth  and  to  prefigure  the  Surety,  and  his  satisfying  sacri- 
fice, that  the  covenant  people  of  the  Old  Testament  might  look 
through  all  that  outward  service  to  him,  and  seek  in  his  perfect  sac- 
rifice, the  real  atonement.  And  thus,  *'  the  law  of  sacrifices  had  a 
shadow  of  good  things  to  come,  and  not  the  very  image  of  the 
things,"  Hcb.  x.  1. 

Therefore  the  sinner  cannot  have  a  hope  of  effecting  a  satisfaction 
either  by  himself,  or  by  any  mere  creature,  in  order  that  he  may  es- 
cape punishment,  and  be  again  received  into  favour.     Is  there  then 
no  door  of  hope  open  for  him  ?     There  is  none,  unless   he  can  find 
a  sufficient  mediator  and  deliverer.     He  must  indeed  have  a  media- 
tor between  God  and  himself,  to  deliver  him  ;  not  only  a  mediator  of 
advocacy  and  intercession,  for  a  mere  creature  could  be  such  a  me- 
diator :    Moses  was  such  a  mediator  and  deliverer,  Exod.  xxxii. 
Deut.  v.  5,  but  the  sinner  must  have  a  mediator  and  deliverer,  who 
can  dehver  him  from  his   guilt,  and  satisfy   the  justice  of  God  for 
him  by  a  sufficient  ransom  ;  and  therefore  he  must  have  '•  a  medi- 
ator for  the  redempi  ion  of  transgressions."     Heb.  ix.  15.     But  who, 
who  in  heaven  or  on  earth  is  worthy  or  able  to  be  such  a  mediator  ? 
The  instructer  saith,  he  must  have  four  great  qualifications.     Ques- 
tion 15.  (a)   **  Ihat  he  must  be  very  man,"   who  hath  a  human  soul 
with  a  human  body,  and  particularly  of  a  human  being,  and  so  he 
must  be  man  of  man.  (b)  "  That  he  must  be  a  righteous  man,"  one 
who  is  perfectly  righteous  and  holy,  agreeably  to  the  demand  of  the 
law,  (c)  "  And,  nevertheless,  more  perfect  than  all  creatures  ;  that  is, 
one  who  is  very  God. "(d)    He  must  also  be  God  and  man  in  one  per- 
son ;  therefore  our  catechism  saith,  who  is    "  also"  very  God  ;  and 
in  the  Latin  catechism  we  read,  qui  simul  etiam  sit  verus  Deus^  "  who 
is  withal,  or  at  the  same  time  also  very  God."     Why  the  mediator 
must  have  these  four  qualifications,  the  instructor  will  teach  us  here- 
after. Question  16,  17  ;  and  so  the  sinner  is  still  kept  under  his  con- 
cern  to  know  how  he  shall  escape  punishment,  and  be  again  received 
into  favour,  that  his  distress  may  be  perfect,  and  he  may  be  the  more 
capable  of  a  complete  consolation. 


116  THE  NECESSITY  OF  A  SATISFACTION. 


APPLICATION. 

But,  hearers,  how  shall  ye  escape  temporal  and  eternal  punish- 
ment, which  ye  have  deserved  according  lo  the  righteous  judgment 
o(  God,  and  be  again  received  into  favour  ?  Many  do  not  even  think 
of  this,  at  least  many  of  yx3U  are  not  concerned  about  it ;  '•  the  lust 
Of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life,  whoredom, 
wine  and  new  wine  take  av/ay  their  hearts,"  1  John  ii.  16.  Hosea 
iv.  11.  Or  the  cares  and  business  of  this  life,  render  them  careless 
and  unconcerned  about  their  eternal  welfare,  and  suffer  them  not  to 
l>onder  seriously  upon  their  eternal  salvation.  But  hear,  voluptuous 
and  poor  worldling,  whose  *^  end  is  destruction?  is  not  thine,  whose 
Cod  is  tliy  be'ly,  whose  glory  is  in  thy  shame,  and  who  mindest 
earthly  things,"     Phil.  iii.  19^ 

Some  think  it  is  unnecessary  to  be  solicitous  about  their  eternal 
salvation.  Is  there  any  person  who  is  afraid  of  eternal  perdition, 
presently  another  will  scoff  at  him,  as  if  such  a  fearful  person  were 
silly  and  disordered  in  his  understanding.  Hath  such  a  reviler  of 
good  things  any  compassion  Vt'ith  such  a  sorrowful  person  :  how 
will  he  bestir  himself  to  discourse  with  him,  in  order  to  dispel  his 
anxiety  1  he  will  at  least  take  care  that  he  doth  not  himself  become 
so  melancholic  ;  he  thinks  ihat  if  he  should,  he  would  despair,  and 
he  doth  not  intend  to  listen  so  much  to  the  devil,  as  if  that  conviction 
were  a  work  of  the  devil,  and  not  of  "  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  convin- 
cet*}  the  world  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment,"  John 
xvi.  8.  Christ,  he  thinkb,  hath  died  for  our  sins,  and  this  he  wili 
believe  firmly,  without  doubting  ;  and  he  imagineth  that  such 
sorrow  doth  not  agree  with  the  joyful  season  of  the  New  Testament, 
But,  inendo  ye  who  i^ardtn  and  deceive  your  hearts  in  this  careless 
manner,  how  can  ye  so  i-ely  upon,  and  be  so  assured  of  an  interest 
in  the  salisfa  tion  of  Christ,  which  he  hath  accomplished  ?  Doth  it 
belong  to  all  men  ?  to  you  also  ?  must,  and  can  ye  believe  this  with- 
out ever  having  been  concerned  about  your  woful  misery  ?  and  do 
ye  think,  that  under  the  New  Testament  we  must  not  have  any 
'  godly  sorrow,  which  worketh  repentance  not  to  be  repented  ofj" 
'  oiiiraiy  to  2  Cor.  vii.  8 — 1 1,  Surely  none  but  "  those  who  mourn, 
arc  comforted  and  blessed,"  Mat.  v.  4.  Do  ye  say,  we  repent  in- 
f'.eed  of  our  sins  ?  is  it  indeed  true,  and  not  merely  a  vain  assertion  r 
iire  ye  ever  affected  with  concern,  distress,  and  a  restless,  earnest 
desire  to  escyj.'i  iht-  :  ust  !ved  p'..n»shment,  and  to  be  again  received 
.'ito  favour  ?  Suui  and  Jndas  said  also,    "  I  have  sinned,"     I  Sam- 


V.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  ]2— 15, 


111 


svi.  24— Matt,  xxvii.  3,  4  ;  but  Ihey  both  «  died  in  their  iniquity/' 
yea,  they  murdered  themselves.  1  Chron  x.  13 — 1:5am.  xxxi.*4. 
— .Matt,  xxvii.  5. 

OtWers  experience  severe  twinges  of  conscience,  and  are  accord- 
ingly fearful,  when  with  *'  Felix,  they  hear  of  righteousness,  tem- 
perance, and  the  judgment  to  come  ;"  Acts  xxiv.  25  ;  but  they  do 
not  earnestly  inquire  after  the  way  which  is  above,  to  depart  from 
hell  beneath  ;  for  one  endeavours  to  divert  his  anxiety  by  business  or 
amusement,  or  by  hardening  and  barring  .up  his  heart,  that  the 
anguish  of  his  heart  may  not  be  too  much  enlarged,  or  by  turning 
away  his  ear  from  hearing  severe  preaching,  which  would  convince 
him.  Paul,  who  preaches  so  seserely,  and  who  goads  so  sharply, 
must  then  "go  his  way."  Acts  xxiv.  25.  Another  gives  up  all 
hope,  and  thinks,  how  can  I  help  it,  if  God  will  not  receive  me  gra- 
ciously ?  and  he  abandons  himself  to  his  careless  sinfulness,  or  sin- 
ful carelessness.  "  This  evil,"  saith  he,  "  is  of  the  Lord,  what  should 
I  wait  for  the  Lord  any  longer  ?"  2  Kings  vi.  33.  A  third  will 
convert  himself,  he  intends  and  promises  it,  he  will  not  commit  this 
and  that  sin  any  more  ;  he  will  serve  God  better,  and  attend  public 
worship  more  dihgently  than  he  used  ;  and  he  will  offer  this  to  God 
as  a  payment,  at  least  in  part ;  and  he  hopes  that  God  will  remit 
the  rest  of  what  he  oweth  :  but  his  promise  is  generally  empty 
words,  without  effect :  when  his  distress  is  over,  his  promise  is  also 
puffed  away  by  the  least  blast  of  concupiscence.  Doth  he  conduct 
:n  some  measure  as  he  proposed,  by  forsaking  a  few  sins,  and  doing 
a  little  good,  he  is  then  perfer  lly  easy,  and  trows  that  he  is  already  a 
great  saint,  and  a  dearly  beloved  child  of  God.  .And  a  fourth  quiets 
himself  with  the  calamities  which  he  suffers  in  this  world  ;  he  hopes, 
and  it  is  his  comfort  in  his  sorrow,  that  his  present  misery  will  con- 
stitute the  full  measure  of  his  sufferings,  and  that  he  will  not  be  obli- 
-ged  to  suffer  any  more  hereafter  ;  as  if  his  *uiFerings  were  a  satis- 
faction to  the  justice  of  God,  and  not  the  beginning  of  his  sorrows, 
atid  so  "  he  doth  not  say,  there  is  no  liope :  he  finds  the  life  of  his 
hand,  and  is  not  grieved."     Isaiah  Ivii.  10. 

"  Hear  this,  O  foolish  people,  and  without  understanding,  who 
have  eyes,  but  see  not ;  who  have  ears,  but  hear  not."  Jer.  v.  21. 
1  speak  to  you,  who  have  not  the  least  concern  about  your  eternal 
welfare,  and  to  you  also,  who  consider  all  distress  on  account  of  your 
wicked  condition  to  be  unnecessary :  to  you  also,  who  deceive  your- 
selves with  vain  and  false  imaginations,  and  hush  in  such  a  careless 
manner,  your  awakened  conscience  Knov/  that  ye  will  not  by  these 
means  escape  temporal  and  eternal  punishment,  nor  return    again 


tit  THE  NECESSITY  OF  A  SATISFACTION^. 

into  favour,  for  "  God  will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty."  Exod» 
xxxiv.  7.  Do  you  think  to  harden  your  hearts  against  the  Lord, 
and  to  have  peace  f  God  is  able  to  trouble  you.  See  how  he 
dashed  in  pieces  the  hardened  Israelites  :  "  Therefore,"  saith  he, 
Hosea  xiii.  7,  8,  *'  I  will  be  unto  them  as  a  lion ;  as  a  leopard  by 
the  way  will  I  observe  them.  I  will  meet  them  as  a  bear  that  is  be- 
reaved  of  her  whelps,  and  will  rend  the  caul  of  their  heart,  and  there 
will  I  devour  them  like  a  lion  ;  the  wild  beast  shall  tear  them."  Ob- 
serve how  he  troubled  the  proud  Belshazzar,  "  his  countenance  was 
changed,  and  his  thoughts  troubled  him  ;  the  joints  of  his  loins  were 
loosed,  and  his  kness  smote  one  against  another  "  Dan.  v.  6.  Ye 
know  how  Cain  fared,  when  he  would  conceal  his  brother-slaughter. 
Gen  iv.  9 — 13.  Judas  sought  to  hide  his  abominable  deed  with  a 
kiss  ;  but  how  did  his  conscience  awake  and  terrify  him,  and  with 
what  fury  did  it  attack  him !  Matt,  xxvii.  3,  4,  5,  6  ;  do  ye  hope 
that  ye  will  not  fare  so  ill,  because  ye  are  not  the  worst  sinners  ;  be- 
cause ye  intend  to  conduct  better  hereafter  than  ye  have  heretofore  ; 
because  ye  must  suffer  so  much  at  present  ?  Do  ye  think  then  with 
the  Papists,  that  your  doings  and  sufferings  will  cancel  your  debt, 
and  merit  the  grace  of  (iod  ?  doth  not  God  require  that  his  justice 
should  be  satisfied  ?  and  must  ye  not  pay  fully,  either  by  youi-selves, 
or  by  another  ?  Do  ye  know  how  to  deliver  yourselves  by  a  few 
outward  ceremonies,  and  by  suffering  a  few  afflictions,  and  then  "  ex- 
acting all  your  labours  "  Isaiah  Iviii.  2,  3.  Therefore,  *'  awake  yc 
who  sleep,  and  arise  from  the  dead."  Eph.  v.  14.  "  God  will  punish 
the  men  who  are  settled  on  their  lees  "  Zeph,  i.  12.  *'  Rise  up,  ye 
women  that  are  at  ease ;  hear  my  voice,  ye  careless  daughters,  give 
ear  unto  my  speech.  Tremble,  ye  women  that  are  at  ease ;  be 
troubled,  ye  careless  ones ;  strip  ye,  make  ye  bare,  and  gird  sack- 
cloth upon  your  loins."  Isaiah  xxxii.  9.  Or  do  ye  think  it  is  need- 
less for  you  to  be  concerned  and  distressed  about  your  eternal  condi- 
tion ?  Doth  not  God  then  threaten  *•  a  wo  to  those  who  are  at  ease 
in  Zion,  and  careless  m  the  mountains  of  Samaria?"  Amos  vi,  1. 
Is  not  your  misery,  your  temporal  and  eternal  punishment,  which  ye 
have  deserved,  according  to  the  righteous  judgment  of  God,  griev- 
ous enough  to  affect  you  with  the  greatest  concern  ?  can  ye  deliver 
yourselves,  and  satisfy  the  justice  of  God,  either  by  your  own  suffeiv 
ings  and  doings,  or  by  those  of  another  creature  '  will  ye  not  be 
wholly  at  a  loss  here  ?  How  v/ill  a  sinner  deny  all  his  own  righteous- 
ness, and  6eek  the  righteousness  of  another,  unless  he  be  perfectly 
stripped  and  bare  ? 
f»  Will  yc  therefore  escape  punishment,  and  be  again  received  into- 


V.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  12—15.  H^ 

favour:  (!)•  Entertain  a  greater  concern  about  your  salvation  and 
damnation  than   ye  have  had  heretofore.     Will  ye  value  .ind  bestit 
yoiirbclves  so  for  your  body,  your  food  and  clothing,  and  neglect  from 
mere  iibikssness,  your  noble  souls,  and  be  so  careless  of  them?  Oh 
detestable  madness  1  ye  will  strive  to   pass  with  honour  through  the 
world,  but  are  unconctrneu  i.cv/  it  will  fare  with   you,  after  ye  are 
througn  tiie  world  1  How  will  ye  btmoan  yourselves,  and  say  when 
it  IS  too  late,  "  How  have  J  hated  instruction,  and  my  heart  despised 
reproo*',    and  have  not  obeyed  the  voice  of  my  teachers,  nor  inclined 
mine  ear  to  them  that  instructed  me  ?"  Prov.  v,  12,  13.    What  will 
ye  then  have  of  all  these  earthly  goods,  for  which  ye  consume  both 
your  bodies  and  souls  in  so  many  difficult  occupations  ?  '  for  what 
doth  it  profit  a  man,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world,   and  lose  his  own 
soul  ?  or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  ?"  Matt, 
xvi.  26.  Therefore  value,  and  bestir  yourselves  more  for  the  welfare 
of  you;  souls,  and  *^  seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteous- 
ness, and  all  other  things  shall  be  added  unto  you,"  Matt.  vi.  33  (2) 
Impress  it  upon  your  minds,  that  all  your  own  doings,  as  long  as  ye 
are  not  received  into  favour,  will  not  avail  to  escape  punishment,  that 
ye  may  look  off  from  them  altogether,  and  may  be  wholly  at  a  loss 
and  confounded  in  yourselves.     All  your  own  works,  how  much 
soever  ye  bestir  yourselves,  are  but  "  a  vain  oblation,"  Isaiah  i.  12. 
Ye  must  be  first  received  into  favour  through  the  perfect  satisfaction 
of  another^  if  what  ye  do  shall  be  acceptable  to  God.     "  The  sacri- 
fice of  the  wicked  is  an  abomination  to  the  Lord  :  but  the  prayer  of 
the  upright  is  his  delight,"  Pror.  xv.  8.     "  The  Lord   had  respect 
first  to  Abel  and   then  to  his  offering  ;  but  when  he  hath  no  respect 
unto  Cain,  he  is  not  pleased  with  his  offeiing  neither,"   Gen.  iv.  3, 
4,  5.  (3)  Is  there  any  one  among  us,  who  is  thoroughly  anxious,  and 
desirous  of  escaping  the  punishment,  which  he  hath  deserved,  and 
of  being  again  received  into  favour,  and   doth  he  cry  out  with  the 
Igaoler,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?"  Acts  xvi.  CO,  let  him  know, 
that  God  hath  demanded  the  satisfaction  at  the  hands  of  his  Son,  and 
that  he   hath  satisfied  the  justice  of  God  for  our  guilt,  even  to  the 
uttermost  farthing,  that  God  proffereth  his  Son  to  him,  and  that  he 
must  accept  of  him  upon  this  offer,  and  choose  him  for  himself:  for 
**  God  hath  set  his  Son   forth  to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith,  in 
his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness,"  Kom   iii.  25-  See  also  Isaiah 
xxvii.  4,   5,  and  chap.  xlv.  22,  24,   and  what  will  be  said  upon  the 
sixth  and  seventh  Lord's  day.  (4)  Believers,  who  have  betaken  your- 
selves to  the  Mediator  c-nd  Deliverer,  and  have  denied  all,  yea,  even 
your  best  performan<jcs  and  all  your  outward  privilegesj  and  "  count- 


kiO  THE  NECESSITY  O^  A  SATISFACTION. 

cd  them  but  loss  and  dunp;,  that  ye  might  be  found  in  Christ,  atid 
have  his  righteousness  through  faith,"  with  Paul,  Philip,  iii.  4 — 10, 
behold  your  happiness,  wonder  and  rejoice,  yea,  praise  the  Lord, 
that  ye  have  escaped  punishment,  and  are  again  received  into  favour, 
and  that  through  the  suffering  and  obedience  of  the  great  Mediator 
and  Deliverer,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  following  Lord's  days  will 
urge  you  to  this  more  particularly.  (5)  Let  all  those,  who  have  the 
cstre  ot"  souls,  take  heed  that  they  lead  sinners  in  and  according  to 
this  sure  way  to  Christ.  To  comfort  sinners  in  general,  while  they 
ire  unconcerned,  and  do  not  mourn,  and  to  apply  the  promises  to 
them  without  distinction,  and  without  taking  the  precious  from  the 
vile  ;  or  to  direct  poor  and  concerned  souls  only  to  certain  legal  ob- 
servances ;  or  to  deal  harshly  with  them,  and  oppose  them,  this  is 
''  making  the  heart  of  the  righteous  sad  with  lies,  and  strengthening 
the  hands  of  the  wicked,  that  he  should  not  turn  from  his  wicked 
way  and  live  ;"  which  God  will  punish  with  severity,  according:  to 
Ezek.  xiii.  Spiritual  guides  must  endeavour  to  convince  sinners  of 
their  guilt,  and  awaken  them  to  concern,  they  ought  not  to  comfort 
them  hastily,  but  should  urge  them  to  '^  the  Lord  our  righteousness,'" 
that  they  may  escape  the  deserved  punishment,  and  be  again  receiv- 
ed into  favour.  This  is  the  way,  in  which  the  instructor  leads  souls^ 
and  he  doth  it  after  the  example  of  Paul  and  his  fellow  labourers : 
"  We  knowing,"  saith  he,  2  Cor  v.  11."  the  terrour  of  the  Lord,  per- 
suade men."  Thus  we  should  deliver  our  own  souls,  **  save  our= 
selves,  and  them  that  hear  us,"  1  Tim.  iv.  16.  "  We  should  justify 
many,"  afford  a  ♦veil-grounded  consolation  to  souls,  their  sanctifica- 
tion  would  be  real  and  3/angehcal,  and  "we  should  shine  as  the 
brightness  of  the  feriRament,  and  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever/' 
\men. 


131 


CHRIST  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL. 


VI.  LORD'S  DAYo 


Heb.  vii.  25 — 28.  Wherefore  he  is  able  also  to  save  them  to  the 
uttermost,  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to 
make  intercession  for  them.  For  such  a  high  priest  became  uSj 
who  is  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  separated  from  sinners,  and  made 
higher  than  the  heavens ;  who  ncedcth  not  daily,  as  those  high 
priests,  to  offer  up  sacrifice,  first  for  his  own  sins,  and  then  for 
the  people's ;  for  this  he  did  once,  when  he  offered  up  himself. 
For  the  law  maketh  men  high  priests  which  have  infirmity  ;  but 
the  word  of  the  oath,  which  was  since  the  law,  maketh  the  Son^ 
who  is  consecrated  for  e\er  more. 

Q.   16.    Why  must  he  be  very  man^  and  also  jierfecily  righteous  ? 

A.  Because  the  justice  of  God  requires  that  the  same  human 
xiature,  which  bath  sinned,  should  likewise  make  satisfation  for  sin  5 
and  one  who  is  himself  a  sinner  cannot  satisfy  for  others, 

Q.    17.    Why  must  he  in  one  person  be  also  very  God  ? 

A.  That  he  might,  by  the  power  of  his  Godhead,  sustain  in  his 
human  nature,  the  burthen  of  God's  wrath  ;  and  might  obtain  for, 
and  restore  to  us,  righteousness  and  Ife. 

Q.  18.  Who  then  is  that  mediator,  ivho  is  in  one  person  both  very 
God,  and  a  real  righteous  man  ? 

A.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  "  who  of  God  is  made  unto  us  wisdom? 
and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemption." 

Q.   19.    Whence  knoivest  thou  this? 

A.  From  the  holy  gospel,  which  God  himself  revealed  first  in 
Paradise  ;  and  afterwards  published  by  the  patriarchs  and  prophets, 
and  Was  pleased  to  represent  it,  by  the  shadows  of  sacrifices  and  the 
"Dther  ceremonies  of  the  law ;  and  lastly,  has  accomplished  it  by  his 

^nly  begotten  Son- 

TT 


122  CHRIST  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL 

VV  -1  ^T  the  law  could  not  do,  in  that  it  was  weak  through  the 
Qesli,  Gofi  sendin^j  his  own  Son,  in  the  hkeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and 
for  sin  condemned  sin  in  the  flesh,  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law 
might  be  fuliilled  in  us."  Thus  speaks  Paul,  Horn.  viii.  3,  4.  The 
law  cannot  justify  the  sinner.  Ciod  did  indeed  give  the  hw  to  man- 
kind before  the  fall,  that  they  might  obtain  righteousness  and  life 
by  keeping  it  perfectly,  and  it  would  thus  have  been  possible  for  the 
law  to  justify  man  :  "  For  Moses,  describing  the  righteousness  which 
is  of  the  law,  saith,  The  man  which  doth  these  things  shall  live  by 
them,"  Rom.  x.  5.  But  the  law  cannot  do  this  now,  since  it  is  be- 
come weak  through  sin  and  the  flesh  ;  it  hath  now  only  a  power  to 
curse  and  condemn  the  sinner,  according  to  the  divine  threatening, 
"  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  which  are 
written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them  ;"  and  therefore  "  they 
who  aie  of  the  works  of  the  law,  are  under  the  curse,"  Gal.  iii.  10, 
and  so  <•  the  law  worketh  wrath,"  Rom.  iv.  15,  and  declareth  that 
"  the  whole  world  is  guilty  before  God,"  Rom.  iii.  19.  If  the  sinner 
shall  then  be  justified,  the  righteousness  of  the  law  must  be  fulfilled 
in  him  by  a  sufficient  satisfaction  to  the  justice  of  God,  expressed  in 
the  law  ;  for  '•  Zion  must  be  redeemed  with  judgment,  and  her  con- 
verts with  righteousness,"  Isaiah  v.  27,  aAd  "  the  Lord  of  hosts  must 
be  exalted  in  judgment,  and  God,  who  is  holy,  must  be  sanctified  ia 
righteousness,"  Isaiah  v.  16.  The  demand,  which  the  law  of  God 
makes  against  the  sinner,  requiring  that  he  sihould  be  punished, 
cannot  be  refused,  inasmuch  as  the  law  contains  the  sentence  of  curs- 
ing, denounced  by  God.  But  who,  yea,  who  is  able  to  satisfy  this 
righteous  demand  of  the  law  ?  the  sinner  himself  cannot ;  for  he  in- 
creaseth  his  debt  daily  :  no  other  creature  can,  because  he  cannot 
sustain  the  burthen  of  God's  eternal  wrath.  If  any  one  shall  be  « 
worthy  and  able  to  do  this,  he  must  be  very  man  and  righteous,  and 
also  God  and  man  in  one  person,  according  to  what  the  foregoing 
Lord's  dav  hath  taught  us  from  the  word  of  God,  and  for  which  solid 
reasons  are  R:iven  in  this  Lord's  day.  Question  16,  17,  and  in  which 
it  is  shown,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  such  a  mediator  and  deliv- 
erer, Question  18,  and  that  this  is  made  known  in  the  gospel,  Ques- 
tion 19,  that  the  sinner,  being  concerned,  and  desirous  of  deliverance, 
may  obtain  perfect  satisfaction  and  comfort. 

There  are  three  particulars  in  this  Lord's  day,  which  require  otir 
consideration  : 

I.  Why  the  mediator  must  be  a  real  and  righteous  man  and  God 
in  one  person,  Question  16,  17» 


Vr.  LORD'S  rXAY,  Q.  16-19.  12S 

II.  That  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  mediator  and  deliverer,  Ques^ 
tion  18. 

III.  And  that  we  loiow  this  from  the  gospel,  Question  19. 

I.  The  person  who.  shall  be  the  mediator  and  deliverer,  eught,  in 
the  first  place,  to  be  very  man ;  •'  because  the  justice  of  God  requires 
that  the  human  nature,  which  hath  sinned,  should  likewise  make  sat- 
isfaction for  sin  ;"  or,  as  the  Latin  catechism  expresseth  it,  Ut  cadem 
natura  humajia^  qua  fiecavit^  ifisa  firo  fieccato  defi€)ida.t  ;  "  that  the  same 
human  nature,  which  hath  sinned,  should  make  satisfaction  for  sin." 
The  justice  of  God  requires  s.uisfliction  of  the  sinner  himself  ;  but  if 
God  will,  by  a  special  kindness,  transfer  his  demand  to  a  surety,  that 
surely  must  be  of  the  same  nature  with  the  sinner,  in  order  to  be* 
some  his  surety.     Therefore   Paul  saith,  Heb.  ii.  11,   *'  For  both  he 
that  sanctifieth,  and  they  who  are  sanctifkd,  are  all  of  one  :  for  which 
cause  he  is.  not  ashamed  to  call  them  brethren."    And  the  righteous- 
ness of  God,  which  he  hath   expressed  in  his  law,  demands  this  ; 
for  it  demands  that   "  man   should  love  his  nei^•hbour  as  himself." 
Luke    X.   27,28,     And   if  he   do  pot,    <' that  he  should  die."    Rom; 
i.  32.     If  the  mediator  should  then  saiisty  the  justice  of  God,  accor- 
ding: to  the  demand  of  the  law,  he  must  be  "  made  under  the   law,'* 
which  was  given  to  man  ;  "  that  he  may   redeem  him  who  was  un- 
der the  law,"^    Gal.  iv.  4,  5.     He  must  then  also  be  the  neighbour 
of  man,  and  so  "  of  one  blood  with  him ,"     Acts  xvii,  26.     And  **  by 
the  grace  of  God  must  taste  death,"  (or  the  separation  of  soul  and 
body)  "for  every  man,"    Heb.  \u  9« 

1  or  this  reason,  God  also,  foretold  that  the  Mediator  ^nd  Deliverer 
should  be  very  man  ;  for  he  promised  hira  formerly,  as  "  the  ^ecd 
of  the  woman  i"  Gen.  iii.  15  :  and  as  ''  the  seed  of  Abraham,  Is£lac, 
and  Jacob ;"  Gen.  xxii.  18,  xxvi.  4,  xxviii,  14  ;  and  that  "  he  should 
be  the  fruit  of  the  body  of  David,"  Psalm  exxxii.  1 1 .  This  was  also 
typified  under  the  Old  Testament  by  the  redeemers,  and  by  the  high 
priests :  the  Lord  had  enjoined,  that  he  who  was  the  nearest  kins- 
man, the  Goel^  should  be  the  person,  who  should  redeem  the  mortga- 
ged inheritance  of  another,  or  his  person,  if  he  were  imprisoned  for 
debt,  or  sold  for  a  slave,  and  that  he  should  be  the  avenger  of  his 
blood.  Lev.  XXV.  25:  Ruth  ii.  20,  iii.  12,  13.  iv.  1 — 10  Numb. 
XXXV.  19,21,24,25,27'  He  then,  who  shall  be  the  sinner's  re- 
deemer, must  also  be  his  kinsman,  and  therefore  the  Mediator  is  cal- 
led the  G&ri,  the  kinsman  and  *' Redeemer,  who  should  come  to 
Zion,"  Isaiah  hx.  20.  Paul,  having  respect  to  this,  saith  of  the  Me- 
diator and  Deliverer,  Heb.  ii.  14,  15,  16."  For  as  much  then,  as 
"he  children  are  partakers  of  fl^sh  and  blood,  he  also  himself  like- 


i24  CHRIST  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL. 

wise  took  part  of  the  same  ;  that  through  death  he  might  destroy 

him  ti^at  hud  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil  ;  and  deliver  them 
who  through  fear  of  death,  were  all  the  r  lifetime  subject  to  bondage. 
"  For  veriljr  he  took  not  on  him  the  nature  of  angels  ;  but  he  took 
on  him   the  seed  of  Abraham."     This  was  also  typified  by  the  high 
priests      '*  For  e  ery  high  pnest,  taken  froni  among  men,  is  ordain- 
ed for  men  ia  things  pertaining  to  God,  that  he  may  offer  both  gifts 
^nd  sacrifices  for  sins :  who  can   have  compassion  on  the  ignorant, 
and  on  them  that  are  out  of  the  way  ;   for  that  he  himself  is  also 
<:ompassed   with  infirmity,"      Heb.  v.    1,  2.      Therefore  the  true 
Higii  Priest  behooved  also  to  be  very  man,  in  order  that  he  might  of- 
fer a  perfect  sacrifice  for  sins,  and  have  suitable  compassion.     Let 
us  hear  the  same  apostle  again  ;  he  saith,  Heb.  li.  17,  18,  "Where- 
fore in  all  things  it  behooved  him  to  be  made  like  his  brethren  ;  that 
he  mi'^ht  be  a  merciful  and  faithful  high  priest,  in  things  pertaining 
unto  G  )d,  to  make  reconciliation  for  the  sin  of  the  people  :  for   in 
that  himself  hath  suffered,  being  tempted,  he  is  able  tosuccorr  them 
that  are  tempted.     The  mediator  and  deliverer   must  not  only  be 
very  man,  bnt  also  a  perfectly  holy  man  ;  "  because  man  being  him- 
self a  sinner,  cnnnot  satisty  for  others  ;"  for  he  would  then  be    obli- 
ged to  satisfy  for  himself,  and  nevertheless  not  be    able,    much    less 
then  for  another,  as  hath   been  shown  on   a  foregoing   Lord's   day. 
He  must  then  be  a  "  holy,  harmless,  and  undefiled  high  priest,  who 
needeth  not  to  offer  up  sacrifice,  first  for  his  own  sins,  and  then  for 
the  people's,"  as  the  text  speaks.     This  was   also  foretold  of  old ; 
the     'ediitor  and  Deliverer  should  be  "the  Holy  One."  Psalm  xvi. 
10.     *'  He  should  delight  to  do  the  will  of  God  ;  and  his  kw  should 
]be  within  liis  heart,"   Psalm  xl.  8  ;  and  "  vTickedness  should  be  an 
abomination  to  his  lips,"  Prov.   viii.  7,  8  ;  as  this  was  also  typified 
by  the  priests,  who  might  not   be  defiled,  v/hen  they  approached  to 
God,  the  Holv  One ;  for  *'  God  would  be  sanctified  in   them  that 
came  nigh  him  ;"  or  he  would  sanctify  himself,  by  consuming  them. 
Lev.  X.  1,2,  o.     Now  the  mediator  and  deliverer  ought   to  be  also 
the  surety  and  high  pi  iest,  and   therefore  also  holy,  "  that  he  might 
draw  near  to  God  in  those  things  which  pertained  to  God,  in  order 
to  make  reconciliation."  Jer.  xxx.  21.    Heb.  ii.  17.    The  sacrificial 
gifts  also  typified  this  ;  for  they  were  to  be  holy  and  without  blemish, 
according;  to   Lev.  xxii.   22,    25.    Mai.  i.  7,   8.     And  therefore  the 
true  sacrifice,  with  which  God  should  be  well  pleased,  behooved  also 
to  be  noly,   and   without  blemish;   "a   lamb  without  blemish  and 
without  spot  "   1  Peter  i.    19.     See  also  2  Cor.   v.   21,    Eph.  v.  2. 
"jYte  may  add  to  this  that  the   mediator  and  deliverer,  ought  lo  be 


VL  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  16—19.  itt 

ttoly,  because  it  was  necessary  that  his  human  nature  should  be  per- 
sonally united  to  his  Godhead,  and  therefore,  also  holy  ;  for  "that 
holy  thing,  which  should  be  born,  s'nould  be  called  the  Son  of  God," 
Lukei.  35. 

It  was  necessary  that  the  rrjediator  and  deliverer  should  then,  alsoj 
be  very  God.(l)  "  That  he  might  by  the  power  of  his  Godhead, 
sustain  in  his  human  nature  the  burthen  of  God's  wrath."  How 
heavy  the  burthen  of  God's  wrath  is,  that  it  must  be  sustained,  in 
order  to  effect  a  satisfaction,  and  that  no  mere  creature  could  sus- 
tain it,  hath  been  shown  on  the  fourth  and  fiftli  Lord's  days.  Ke 
then  who  shall  sustain  it,  so  as  to  effect  a  satisfaction,  must  be  more 
powerful  than  all  the  creatures,  and  so  very  God,  that  he  may  sup- 
port his  human  nature,  while  he  suffers,  and  s\tstains  the  divine 
wrath  that  "  his  own  arm  may  bring  him  salvation,  and  his  fury 
may  uphold  him,"  Isaiah  Ixlii.  5.(2)  The  mediator  and  deliverer 
must  also  be  God, "  that  he  may  obtain  forns  righteousness  and  life," 
The  sinner,  if  he  shall  stand  before  God,  and  live,  must  have  an  in* 
finite  righteousness,  that  all  his  sins  committed  against  the  most 
high  majesty  of  God,  may  be  forgiven  him,  and  that  he  may  be  deliv- 
ered from  everlasting  death,  and  obtain  everlasting  Hfe.  in  the  ever- 
lasting favour  of  God ;  as  it  was  a'so  foretold,  that  ''the  Messiah 
should  bring  in  an  everlasting  righteousness."  Dan.  fx,  24.  Nov,- 
it  is  impossible,  that  the  righteousness  of  a  mere  creature 
should  he  of  infinite  dignity,  he  ought  then  himself  to  be  the  infi- 
nite God,  if  his  righteousness  shall  have  such  a  divine  dignity  (3) 
It  behooved  the  mediator  and  deliverer  to  restore  this  righteousness 
and  life  to  us,  to  apply  and  communicate  them  to  us  It  was  not 
enough  to  obtain  the  righteousness  and  life,  but  it  was  necessary  to 
impart  them  also  to  the  sinner,  if  he  should  be  delivered.  "  The 
shepherd  who  giveth  his  life  for  the  sheep,"  must  also,  "  give  them 
eternal  Hfe,  and  keep  them  so,  that  they  do  never  perish,  and  that 
none  pluck  them  out  of  his  hand,"  John  x.  1 1,  28.  And' therefore 
the  mediator  and  deliverer  must  be  God  ;  .for  a  man  could  not 
appropri:^tb  to  himself  the  righteousness,  which  the  mediator  obtains, 
and  the  life  which  he  merits.  There  is  need  here  oi  an  "exceeding 
greatness  of  God's  pov/cr,  according  to  tlte  v/orking  of  his  mighty 
power,"  Eph  1.  19.(4)  Moreover,  the  mediator,  who  should  su?^ 
render  his  life  to  death,  behooved  to  be  the  lord  of  his  own  life, 
and  thus  to  '*•  have  power  to  lay  his  life  down,  and  to  take  it  again." 
John  y.  18.  Now  no  mere  man  hath  such  power,  but  h(*  on  y,  who 
is  also  very  God,(5)  Add  to  this,  that  he  who  shall  deliver  sinners, 
ought  a'so  to  be  capable  of  bein^  an  object  of  all  religious  hpmag^; 


IJ5  CHRIST  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL. 

faith,  love  and  gratitude  ;  for  tliose  whom  he  delivers  from  tempos 
ral  and  eternal  punishments,  whom  he  reinslates  into  favour,  and 
for  whom  he  obtains,  and  to  whom  he  restores  righteousness  and 
life,  owe  him  such  service.  See  Titus  ii.  14.  Now  such  honour 
cannot  surely  be  offered  to  one  who  is  no  more  than  a  man,  but  he 
must  be  "  God  also,  who  is  over  all,  blessed  forever,'^'  if  he  shall  be 
honoured  thus,  Rom.  ix.  5.  See  Isaiah  xlv.  21,  25.(6)  Finally,  we 
^ay  also,  that  it  v*  as  foretold,  that  the  mediator  and  deliverer  should 
be  "  Jehovah,  the  Lord  our  righteousness,"  Jer.  xxiii.  6.  Hof 
sea,  i.  7". 

It  was  necessary  that  the  mediator  and  deliverer  shotild  be  not 
only  very  man.  and  holy,  and  very  God,  but  also,  ••  at  the  same  tim^ 
God  and  man  in  one  person."  For  (a)  since  the  human  nature  can*- 
not  of  itself  sustain  the  wrath  of  God,  and  its  sufferings  cannot  be  of 
an  infinite  dignity,  and  since  the  incorruptible  Godhead  cannot  suf- 
fer, therefore  his  Godhead  must  have  its  proper  human  nature,  in 
order  to  suffer  therein  ;  and  the  human  nature  and  the  Godhead 
must  be  united*  that  the  Godhead  may  support  the  human  nature 
under  its  grievous  sufferings,  and  that  its  sufferings  may  be  of  infi- 
nite dignity,  being  "  the  proper  blood  of  God,"  Acts,  xx.  28  ;  and 
*'  the  blood  of  the  Son  of  God,"  1  John  i.  7.  We  cannot  say  that 
there  could  be  two  mediators,  one  of  whom  should  be  man,  that  he 
might  suffei,  and  the  other  God,  in  order  to  add  an  infinite  dignity 
to  the  huraan  sufferings  of  the  other  ;  for  no  human  sufferings  caft 
ever  be  of  infinite  dignity,  unless  the  suffering  person  himself  be  aP 
so  very  God,  and  suffer  in  his  ov/n  human  ]j^ature.(b)  We  may  al- 
so say,  that  it  behooved  him  to  be  God  and  man  in  one  person,  be- 
cause  he  who  shall  be  the  mediator,  must  be  equally  near  to  both 
parties,  even  to  God  and  the  sinner,  that  he  may  unite  and  appease 
both  in  himself;  and  he  must  thus  be  a  "  mediator  between  God  and; 
man,  that  he  may  give  himself  a  ransom  for  many,  and  thus  Wm^ 
them  to  God,"  I  Tim.  ii.  5.  6.    I  Peter  iii.   18. 

II.  M\jst  the  sinner  now  have  such  a  mediator  and  deliverer, 
in  order  that  he  may  escape  temporal  and  eternal  punishment,  and 
be  again  i-eceived  into  favour,  he  must  then  be  exceedingly  distress- 
ed ;  for  he  himself  cannot  find  such  a  mediator,  much  less  procure 
him  ;  neither  can  any  creature,  angel,  or  man,  do  this  :  but  the  door 
of  hope,  which  Avas  hitherto  shut  to  the  concerned  sinner,  is  opened 
to  him  by  the  instructor,  when,  upon  this  question  of  the  distressed 
person, «'  Who  then  is  that  mediator,  who  is  in  one  person  both  very 
God,  and  a  real  righteous  man  ?"  He  answers.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
"Who  of  God  is  made  unto  us,  &c.  He  doth  not  say,  nor  prove  now, 
that  he  is  ve  ry  God,  and  real  righteotjs  man  in  one  person,  becau§*^ 


VI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.   16—19.  12f 

he  will  do  this  hereafter ;  but  he  only  shows  that  he  is  4  sufficient 
mediator  and  deliverer,  through  whom  the  sinner  can  escape  punish- 
ment, and  be  again  received  into  favour,  since  *'  he  is  made  of  God 
to  us  wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemption," 
according  to  I  Cor.  1.  30. 

He  is  given  to  be  (1)  "  wisdom."  The  sinner  is  blind  and  foolish, 
and  he  knoweth  nothing  of  his  spiritual  and  eternal  happiness,  "  his 
understanding  is  darkened,  he  is  alienated  from  the  life  of  God, 
through  the  ignorance  that  is  in  him,"  Eph.  iv.  18,  but  our  L6rd 
Jesus  Christ  is  ''  the  wisdom  of  God,"  1  Cor.  i.  24.  "  fn  him  arc 
hidden  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge,"  Coll.  ii.  3.  As 
the  great  prophet  he  makes  known  by  his  word,  and  by  his  Spirit  to 
the  elect  sinner,  "  all  that  he  hath  heard  of  the  Father,"  John  xv, 
15,  and  thus  *' he  leads  the  bHnd  by  a  way  which  they  have  not 
known,"  Sec.  Isaiah  xlii.  16.  See  Luke  xxiv.  44,  46.  Acts  xv.i  14, 
xxvi.  18. 

2  That  it  may  not  seem  unjust,  that  the  guilty  sinner  finds  favor, 
therefore  he  becomes  also  <^  righteousness"  to  him,  since  he  procures 
and  restores  to  him  an  infinite  righteousness  by  his  sufferings  and 
obedience,  whereby,  being  justified  before  God,  he  is  delivered  from 
his  guilt,  and  obtains  a  right  to  life  :  "  For  him  who  knew  no  sin 
hath  God  made  to  be  sin  for  us,  that  we  might  be  the  righteousness 
of  God  in  him,"  2  Cor^  v.  21. 

3.  Doth  he  leave  the  Sinner  in  and  under  the  filth  and  dominion 
of  sin  ?  No ;  but  he  becomes  also  "  sanctification  "  to  him,  by  which 
he  cleanses  him  from  his  loathsome  impurity,  subdues  the  power  of 
his  corruption,  transforms  him  into  the  image  of  God,  and  renders 
him  a  partaker  of  the  holy  nature  of  God,  which  he  doth  first  by  the 
new  birth,  and  then  by  an  increase  of  God,  "  changing  him  from 
glory  to  glory,"  2  Cor.  iii.  18.  Which  sanctification  he  procures  by 
his  blood,  and  communicates  by  his  Spirit ;  "  Ye  are  washed,  ye  are 
sanctified,  ye  are  justified  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  by 
the  Spirit  of  our  God,"   saith  the  apostle,  1  Cor.  vi.  1 1.  1  Peter  i.  2. 

4.  And  since  sinful  man  is  holden  captive  in  the  snare  of  the 
devil  with  the  cords  of  his  sins  and  misery,  on  account  of  the  justice 
of  God,  therefore  Christ  becomes  also  redemption  to  him,  by  which 
he  delivers  him  from  all  that  renders,  or  can  render  him  miserable, 
and  bestows  all  kinds  of  happiness  upon  him,  partly  in,  and  perfectly 
after  this  life  :  for  when  *<  the  Son  makes  him  free,  then  he  is  fre'6 
indeed,"  John  viii,  3€. 

H-s  "  is  made  "  such  great  benefits  to  us  **  of  God,"  saith  the  apos= 
tlc;  I  Cor,  i,  SO,     He  was  not  this,  by  the  natyr"  of  hi^  essence,  but 


1^6  CHRIST  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL. 

by  the  free  and  gracious  constitution  of  God  his  Father,  who  in  the 
aconomy  and  dispensation  of  f^race,  took  upon   himself  the  person 
of  judge,  whom  the  Son  should  satisfy,  as  mediator,  while  the  Holy 
Ghost  should  convey  all   jjrace  from  the  Father  through  the  Son  to 
ihe  sinner.  See  Rom.  iii.  34,  25,   36.  2  Cor.  xiii.    13.  John  xvi.  13, 
14,  15.     And  thus  was  Christ  made  of  God  wisdom.  See.  (1)  In  the 
COUMcii  of  pe^ce  from  eternity,  which  we  call  a  covenant  of  redemp- 
tion, because  the  redemption  of  the  sinner  was  demanded  and  prom* 
ised  m  that  council.     God  did  from  eternity  elect  some  to  everlast- 
ing  life,  and  appoint  them  to  be  vessels  of  mercy  ;  but  as  they  could 
DQt  obtain  solvation,  except  the  justice  of  God  were  satisfied,  there- 
fore God  enters  into  a  covenant  with  his  Son-,   and  requires  ;hat  he 
should  make  satisfaction  by  his  suffering  and  obedience,  promising 
him  that  he  would  prepare  a  body  for  him,  give  him  his  Spirit,  up- 
hold him  in  his  suffering,  that  he  should  see  his  seed,  and  obtain  the 
highest  ;<h)ry.     The  Son  consents  to  all  this,  engages  to  become  his 
Father's  servant,  and  declares  it  to  be  his  delight  to  do  his  Father's 
will.:  whereupon  his  Fathtr  gives  him  his  elect,  and  ^'e  claims  thefti 
as  bis  own,  that   he  may  fulfil  the  stipulated  conditions   for  them  i 
and  thus  they  ar*?,  as  it  were,  transferred  from  the  book  of  life,  to 
witj  the  Father's  election,  into  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb.  See  this 
covenant.   Psalm  ii.  T,  8,  9.  xl.   6,   7,   8.  Ixxxix.  28.    Isaiah  xlii.  1. 
xlix.  4.  liii     10.  John  xvii,  6.  Eph  i.  4,   5.  iii.    10,  11.   Rev.  xvi.  8. 
xxi.  27,  which   covenant,  confirmed  "  with  the   word  of  the  oath, 
makes  the  Son  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification  and   redemp- 
tion,"  lieb.  viii.  28.     The  Lord  .lesus  Christ  is  also  made  of  God 
"Visdom,  Sec   by  the  covenant  of  grace,  which   G  d  established  with 
the  elect  sinner,  whereby  the  allsufficient,  the  only  wise,  righteour. 
and  merciful  God  promiseth  the  foolish,   guilty,  filthy  and  impotent 
sinner,  that  he  will  be  a  God  to  him,  and  will  thus  bestow  all  con- 
^ceivable  bliss  on   bins,   and  the  sinner  accepts  of  this  upon  God's 
proffer,  assents  to  it,  and  resigns  himself  to  the  Lord,  in  order  to  be 
his.  Gen.  xvii.  7.  Isaiah  xlix.  5.  Iv.  3.    But  as  God  cannot  enter  intfr 
a  covenant  with  the  guilty  and  filthy  sinner  immediately,  therefore 
!ie  gives  him  his  Son  to  be  a  mediator,  that  he,  by  satisfying  his 
josticc,  may  bring  the  sintter  to  God,  and  obtain  for  him  all  the 
promises  of  the  covenant  of  grace  :  '^  Therefore  he  is  the  Mediator 
of  the  New  Testament,  that  by  means  of  death  for  the  redemption 
of  the  transgressions  that  were  under  the  first  testament,  they  which 
arc  called  might  receive  the  promise  of  eternal  inheritance,"  Heb. 
i;t.  )5.  And  so  he  is  made  of  God  by  the  covenant  of  grace  wisdom, 
Sec  For  <'  the  Lord  gives  him  for  a  covenant  of  the  people,  a  light 
Hf  the  Gentiles,"  Isaiah  y.lii^  G. 


^h  LORD'S  DAT,  Q.  16~19.  !SI 

I'hat  the  covenant  of  redemption  might  now  be  executed,  the 
covenant  of  grace  perfected,  and  the  sinner  rendered  complete  in 
wisdom,  righteousness^  sanctification  and  fedemption,  God  (a)  sent 
his  Son  into  the  world  to  be  a  mediator,  caused  him  to  assume  the 
human  nature,  to  satisfy  his  vindictive  justice,  and  procure  wisdom, 
righteousness,  eanctification  and  redemption  for  his  people :  "  For 
what  the  law  could  not  do,  in  that  it  was  weak  throu.arh  the  ^esh, 
God  sending  his  own  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  for  sin, 
condemned  sin  in  the  fl'.sh,  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law  might 
be  fulfilled  in  us,"  Kom.  viij,  3,  4.  (b)  '^God  also  exalted  him  by  his 
right  hand  for  elect  men,"  gave  him  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
to  shed  him  forth  "  for  his  covenant  people,  "  and  made  nim  thus 
Lord  and  Christ,"  Acts  ii.  .^)3,  36.  And  by  that  exaltation  he  is  made 
of  God  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemption  :  "  for 
God  hath  exalted  him  with  his  right  hand,  to  be  a  Prince  and  a 
Saviour,  for  to  give  repentance  to  Israel  and  forgiveness  of  sin," 
Acts  v.  3 1  (c)  In  order  that  these  benefits  may  be  communicated  to 
the  sinner,  the  !  -ord  God  makes  his  Son,  with  all  his  fulness  known 
to  the  world  by  the  gospel,  and  proffers  him  to  men,  that  Ihey  may 
receive  and  embrace  him  ;  he  calls  to  them  with  a  voice  from  heaven* 
*'  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased ;  hear  ye 
him,"  Matt.  iii.  17.  xvii.  5.  He  sends  "  his  ambassadours  to  pray 
them  in  his,"  and  in  his  vSon's  »*  name,  to  be  reconciled  to  God,"  2 
Cor.  V.  18,  19,  20,  and  so  "  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  brings  life  and 
immortality  to  light  through  the  gospel,"  2  Tim.  i.  20.  (d)  Yet  all 
this  would  be  to  no  purpose,  if  God  did  not  actually  and  effectually 
by  his  Son  render  the  sinner  a  partaker  of  this  grace,  by  enlighten- 
ing, justifying,  sanctifying  and  redeeming  him  ;  for  which  purpose 
he  gives  the  sinner  faith,  that  he  may  thereby  receive  the  Mediator 
with  all  his  fulness,  and  may  improve  him  in  all  his  needs  :  for  '*  faith 
is  the  gift  of  God,"  Eph.  ii.  8,  Philip,  i.  29,  which  «  God  works" 
eflfectually  in  the  soul,  according  to  "  the  greatness  of  his  power," 
Eph.  i.  19,  and  it  is  faith,  which  receives  the  Son  of  God  and  his 
fulness,  John  i.  12,  16.  Eph.  iii.  17.  What  think  ye,  hearers,  had 
not  Paul  sufficient  reason  to  say,  1  Cor.  i.  30,  that  "  Christ  is  made 
of  God  to  us  wisdom,"  &c.  ?  and  may  not  this  be  called  by  the  in- 
structor a  giving  ?  *  for  there  is  not  a  greater,  nor  a  more  gracious 
Sjift,  than  the  Son  of  God,  with  all  his  benefits.  See  John  iii,  1 C, 
Rom.  viii.  32.  1  John  iv.  9,  10. 

•  This  is  the  English  of  the  word  used  in  the  Dutch  catechism,  an4  in  the 
Geermao  original. 

V 


J 

\m  CHRIS  l  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL. 

But  for  whom  was  Christ  made  and  j»iven  to  be  this  ?  "  For  tis," 
saith  the  apostle,  I  Cor.  i.  30,  "  for  them  who  are  called  lo  be  saints," 
vrs.  2,  *'  not  many  wise  men.  mighty  or  noble  after  the  flesh,  but 
the  foolish,  weak,  ignoble  and  despised  of  the  world,  hath  God  chosen 
and  called,  tliat  th-ey  may  glory  in  the  Lord,"  vrs.  26,  31.  '*  There- 
iore  all  men  without  exception  who  perished  in  Adam,  are  not  saved 
by  Christ,  but  only  those  who  are  ingrafted  into  him,  and  receive^ 
all  his  benefits  by  a  true  faith,"  as  the  following  Lord's  day  will 
inform  us. 

•  III.  Btit  who  will  dare  to  believe  this  great  matter  ?  what  account 
have  we  of  it?  will  the  light  of  nature  discover  it  to  us?  No,  the 
creatures  of  God,  contemplated  in  the  most  exact  manner,  will  not 
t^ach  us  aught  of  this :  we  can  learn  from  them  only  *'  God's  eternal 
power  and  Godhead,  that  we  may  be  without  excuse,"  Rom.  i.  20. 
The  innate  principles  of  knowledge,  and  our  conscience  may  teach 
us,  that  there  is  an  almighty,  righteous,  wise  and  good  God,  and  that 
we  have  to  do  with  him,  according  to  Rom  i.  19.  ii.  14,  but  they 
cannot  atTord  us  the  least  intimation,  nor  excite  in  us  the  least  ap- 
prehension, whereby  we  may  be  induced  to  think,  that  God  will  de- 
liver smnersby  a  covenant  of  grace,  and  by  his  Son.  And  therefore 
a  persc^n  who  doth  not  possess  more  than  the  mere  light  of  nature, 
"  is  without  Christ,  an  alien  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  a 
stranger  from  the  covenants  of  promise,  having  no  hope,  and  with- 
out God  in  the  world,"  Eph.  ii.  12.  Can  this  then  be  learned  from 
the  law  ?  not  from  the  law  neitlier  :  "  For  the  promise  was  not  to 
Abraham,  or  to  his  seed  by  the  law,"  Rom.  iv.  13.  The  law  can- 
not show  the  sinner  the  means  of  deliverance,  but  can  only  discover 
his  misery  to  him,  and  condemn  him  :  "  for  the  law  worketh  wrath," 
Rom.  iv.  15.  See  Rom   iii.  19,  20.  Gal.  iii    10,   II,  12. 

Whence  then  do  we  know  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  medi- 
ator and  deliverer,  made  of  God,  wisdom,  Sec?  The  instructor  an- 
swereth  accordmg  to  the  word  of  God,  "  From  the  holy  gospel.*' 
The  Greek  word  Euangtlion^  signifies  joyful  and  good  tidings,  or  ti- 
dings of  good  :"  I  bring  you  good  tidings,  euangdizomaiy  or  "  evan- 
gelize you  great  joy,"  saith  the  angel  who  brought  the  first  joyful 
news  ot  the  Saviour's  birth,  Luke  ii.  10  11.  The  writers  of  the 
New  Testament  adopted  this  word,  and  learned  the  ordinary  use  of 
it  fiom  the  seventy  Greek  translators  of  the  Old  Testament,  who 
made  use  of  the  word  euangellon^  when  they  found  the  word  Bisser 
m  the  Hebrew.  See  Isaiah  x.  4,9.  Ii.  7.  Ixi.  I.  There  cannot, 
indeed,,  be  jnore  joyful  news  to  a  sinner  under  concern,  than  that 
Christ  is  a  mediator  and  deliverer,  and  is  made  so  great  a  salvation 


♦  VI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  16— 19.  fSl 

to  him  of  God.     By  this  gospel  we   are  not  here   to  understand   so 
much  the  history  of  the  birth,  life,  doctrine,  miracles,  humiliation:) 
and  exaltation  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  we  must  understand  by  it 
particularly,  *'  the  v/hole  doctrine  cf  salvation,  by  which  God  makes 
the  Mediator  and  Deliverer,  Jesus  Christ  known  to  the  sinner,  offers 
him  to  him,  commands  him  to  believe  in  him,  and  that  through  this 
mcdiatoi'  h*:*  shall  escape  punishment,  and  be  aeain  received  into  fa- 
vour."   The  gospel  is  the  doctrine  of  salvation,  by  which  a  person  is 
conducted  to  salvation,  utcording  to  the  covenant  of  grace,  described 
in  the  books  of  the  Old  and   Nev/   Testament:  for   "the  word   of 
truth  is  the  sjospci  of  salvation,"    Eph.  i.  3,     Since  now  Christ  with 
i^is.  benefits  is  the  sum  of  the  gospel,  therefore  it  is  called  the  gospel 
of  Christ,    2  Cor,  iv.  4.  See  also  Rom.  i-  1 — 4,  16,  17.     Wherever 
then  we  read  in  the  holy  scripture  of  Christ   and  his  benefits,  there 
we  have  the  gospei   by  which  (a)  God  makes  Christ  known  to  the 
sinner,  as  mediator  and  deliverer,  and  that  in  him  only  the  sinner  must 
seek,  and  shall  find  all  salvation  :  for  "by  the  gospel  is  preached  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ."  Sec.    Eph.    iii.   8 — 11. (b)     By    the 
gosptl   the  Mediator,   and  all  salvation  in  and  through  him,   is  also 
oHered  to  the  sinner,  and  he  is  invited  and  called  to  him,  that  he  may 
"  turn  to  him  and  be  saved."     Isaiah  xlv.  22.     Iv.    1,  2,  S.     "He 
hath  called  you  by  our  gospel,  to  the  obtaining  of  the   glory  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  saith  the  aposile,  2.  Thes.   ii.  U.(e)     By  the 
gosp  1  the  sinner  is  also  commanded  to  behave  in  the   Mediator  to 
salvation  :    "  Jesus,  preaching  the  gospel,  said,  believe  the  gospel,'* 
Mark.  i.   14,  15.     On  which  account  it  is  sometimes  called  "  a  law." 
Isaiah  ii.  3.     And  also  "  the  law  of  faith/'  Rem.  iii.  27,   since  it 
obhgeth  every  one,  to  whom  it  is  brought,  and  denounces  a  severe 
threaiening  against  those,  who  "  draw  back"  from  it,     Heb.  x»38.(d) 
Purther,  the  gospel  engages  and  promises  to  the  believer,  that  he 
shall  certainly  escape  punishment,  and  be  again  received  into  favour, 
\>y  faith  in  Christ,  Mark  xvi.  15,  16.  John  iii.  16,  36.    Acts  x.   43  j 
and  so  the  gospel  "  comforts  the  believing  people  of  God,  and  speaks 
comfortably  to  them,"  Isaiah  xl.  1,  2.     ixi.    1,  2,  3. 

This  gospel  must  be  distinguished  into  the  gospel  of  promise  and 
of  fulfilment.  The  gospel  of  promise  is  that  which  foretold  and 
promised  the  Mediator,  who  was  to  come,  with  his  saving  benefits. 
The  gospel  of  fulfilment,  is  the  actual  execution  and  fulfilment  of  the 
gospel  of  promise  :  therefore  Paul  saith,  Rom.  i.  1—4,  "  That  God 
hath  promised  the  gospel  before  by  his  prophets  in  the  holy  scrip- 
tiu-es,  concerning  his  Son^  who  was  made  of  the  seed  of  David  accor- 
ding to  the  flesh,"  kc. 


in  CHRIST  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL.  • 

This  gospel  of  promise  "  God  spake  in  times  past,  anc'  »ii  diveis 
manners  to  the  fathers,"  Heb.  i.  i.  For  (1)  God  himself  revealed  it 
first  of  all  in  Paradise^  when  "he  said  to  the  serpent,  because  thou 
hast  done  this,  thou  art  cursed  above  all  cattle,  and  above  every  beast 
of  the  field:  upon  thy  belly  sh  alt  thou  go,  and  dust  shalt  thou  eat 
all  t'le  days  of  thy  life.  And  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and 
the  woman,  dn.  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed  :  it  shall  bruise  thy 
head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel,"  Gen.  iii.  14,  18.  We  sup^ 
pose  that  the  Lord  God  spake  these  words,  when  our  first  parents 
were  present,  not  s  >  much  to  the  material  serpent,  as  to  the  devil, 
>»ho  abused  the  serpent,  because  many  things  arc  mentioned  here, 
which  are  natural  to  the  serpent,  and  which  it  hath  m  common  with 
other  hurtful  animals  :  and  the  rather,  because  "  the  devil  and  Satan 
is  called  the  old  si^rpent."  Rev.  xii.  IS.  Our  Saviour  teacheth  us 
that  the  seed  of  the  serpent  signifies  the  ungodly,  when  he  calls 
them  *' a  generation  ofscrpents  and  vipers,"  ^;att.  xxiii  33,  and 
aailh  that  they  are  of  their  father  the  devil,"  John  viii,  44.  We 
suppose  also,  that  these  words  were  spoken,  in  order  to  comfort  our 
parents,  as  their  malicious  ioe  was  condemned  by  these  words ; 
therefore  it  is  also  evident,  that  the  seed  of  the  woman  si^nif7es 
in  the  first  place  the  Mediator,  who  should  be  <'  the  seed  of  Abra- 
ham," and  thus,  also '« the  seed  of  the  woman  ;"  Gen  xxii.  18.  GaL 
jii.  16.  iv.  4,  and  it  sitrnifies  in  the  next  place,  elect  believers  with 
the  Mediator,  and  in  hini  ,  for  these  "  are  reckoned  the  seed," 
through  the  promise.  Gen.  xvii.  7.  Rom.  ix.  7,  8,  And  there- 
fore  the  words,  Gen  iii.  14,  15,  promise  (a)  that  the  Mediator  should 
be  man  of  m^n,  to  wit,  of  a  woman,  (b)  1  hat  he  should  be  holy,  an 
enemy  to  the  devil,  and  to  his  seed.(r)  That  he  should  be  God  ; 
for  he  should  be  able  to  bruise  (or  crush)  the  head  of  the  devil,  or 
his  power.(d)  That  he  should  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.  1 
John  iii.  8  (e)  That  he  should  suffer  in  his  human  nature  ;  for  the 
serpent  should  bruise  his  heel.(f)  That  the  serpent  should  not  con- 
quer him,  but  that  he  should  be  exalted  above  the  serpent,  whose 
head  he  should  i)ruise.(g)  That  believers,  being  united  to  him, 
dihould  be  made  like  him,  as  the  seed,  and  should  therefore  be  made 
M'ise,  be  justified,  sanctified  and  delivered  ;  but  still  by  a  conflict  with 
the  serpent  and  with  his  seed.  These  things,  and  such  like,  are 
Contained  in  the  promises.  Our  first  parents  no  doubt  understood 
ihtse  things  more  or  less,  and  were  more  fully  instructed  in  them  by 
^od,  believed  and  embraced  them  to  salvation,  and  delivered  them 
iUo  to  their  children  by  tradition.  (2)  God  published  this  gospel 
afterwards  by  Cx  holy  patriarchs  and  prophets.      The  palriar^hg 


'    ^  VI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.   16— lit.  1^8 

were  the  first  fathers  of  great  fdmilies  in  the  holy  line,   before    ancj 
after  the  flood  ;  to  wit,  from  Adam  lo  Noah,  before  the  flood,  Gen, 
V.  after  the  flood,    from  Noah   to  the    twelve    sons  of  Jacob,  Gen. 
X,  1.     Chron.  i.  who,  as  also  Abraham,  Heb.  vii.  4,  are  called  patri- 
archs. Acts  vii.  8.     And  since   the  promise  of  the   coming  of  the 
Messiah,  and  the  setting-  up  of  the  new  church  was  attached  to  the 
family  of  David,  2    Sam.  vii.  therefore  David    is  also  called  a  Patri- 
arch, Acts  ii.  29.     God  published  his  gospel  in  divers  ways  to  these 
patriarchs,  and  by  them  to  their  posterity.     Hovv  could  Abel  other- 
wise  "  offer  in    faith  ?"  Gen.  iv.  4.     Heb.    xi.  4.     Did  not   Cain 
and  Abel,  as  also  the   sons  of  God,  and  the  daughters  of  men    soon 
manifest  who  were  the  true  partakers  of  the  Mediator?  Gen.  iv.  anci 
vi.     When  Enos  was  born,  the  people  of  God  assembled  to  confess 
the  Lord  in  a  public  maimer,  according  to  the  gospel,  iv.  26.  Enoch 
spake  of  his  coming  to  judgment,  Jude,  verse  14,  15.  Noah  preached 
even  then  by  the  Spirit,  the  righteousness  of  the   Redeemer,    and 
prepared  the  ark,  as  a   figure  of  his  grai  e,  whicii    is  now   sealed  by 
baptism,  according  to    1  Peter,  iii,  19,  20,  21.     But  the  Rospel  was 
pubhshed  much  more  clearly  in  the  household  of  Ab'-aham  and    of 
his  sons,  Gen.  xviii.    17;  when  God  entered   into   a  covenant  with 
them,  and  promised  them  the  Messiah,  as  the  seed  in    whom  men' 
should  be  blessed,  and  particularly  as  a  seed,  whjch   should   proceed 
from  them  ;  as  the  Pvlessiah  also  appeared  sometimes  to  them,  as  the 
g.ngel  of  the  covenapt.     They   also  believed  the    gospel,  embraced 
the  Mediator,  and  obtained  thus  the  imputation  of  his  righteousness. 
Sec  Gen.  xv   6.     Heb.  xi.  13. 

To  these  patriarchs  we  may  add  also  those  great  and  holy  men, 
who  v/ere  not  of  the  holy  line,  as  Melchizedek  and  Job.  Mf^lchize- 
dek  prefigured  that  the  Mediator  should  have  a  priesthood  and  king- 
dom, which  should  not  be  transferable  to  others,  Gen.  iv.  Heb. 
vii.  And  Job  spake  of  the  Messiah,  as  his  "  Gcel  and  Redeemer," 
both  in  this  life,  and  that  to  come,  Job.  xix.   25,  26,  27. 

But  the  gospel  v/as  published  with  much  greater  clearness  by  the 
prophets :  men  chosea  by  God  out  of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  and 
endued  with  his  Spirit,  that  they  might  foretell  the  future  things  of 
the  Messiah,  his  benefits,  and  the  New  Testament  church  ;  for  they 
foreshowed  that  the  Messiah  should  be  Mediator,  God  and  man  in 
one  person,  and  "  Immanuel,"  God  with  us,  and  that  "he  should  be 
born  of  a  virgin,"  Isaiah  vii.  14.  ix.  5,  that  "he  should  be  a  pro- 
phet, like  Moses,"  Deut.  xviii.  1 5,  "a  priest  after  the  order  of  Melchi- 
zedek," Psalm  ex.  4.  4.  and  "  a  king  of  Zion,"  Psalm  ii.  6,  that  he 
should  be  humbled  and  exalted,"  Isaiah  liii.  that  he  should  descend 


l/4  CHRIST  REVEALED  IN  THE  G05PEL. 

from  the  tribe  of  Judah  and  the  empoverishcd  family  of  Jesse,  Gen. 
xlix-  10,  Isaiah  vi.  1,  and  be  born  at  Bethlehem,  Micha  v.  1,  and  ap- 
pear in  the  second  temple,  Haggai  ii.  8.  10.  Mai.  iii.  Land  that  af- 
ter the  end  of  seventy  wteks  of  years,  Dan.  ix.  24,  27.  That  he 
should  be  made  of  God  to  his  people  wisdom,  "  to  lead  the  blind  ," 
Isaiah  xlii.  16,  righteousness,  Jer.  xxiii.  6,  sanctilication,  Isaiah  lix» 
20.  That  he  should  bring  the  Gentiles  to  fellowship  with  God,  Isaiah 
xlix.  6.  That  he  should  abolish  the  ecclesiastical  laws  of  the  Jewsy 
and  that  Jerusalem  should  be  laid  waste,  Dan  ix.  27.  And  so  "all 
the  prophets  give  witness  that  through  his  name,  whosoever  believ- 
eth  in  him,  shall  receive  remission  of  sins,"  Acts  x.  43. 

3.  God  published  this  gospel  of  promise  not  only  verbally,  b>it  alsa 
really  :  he  prefigured  it  "  by  the  sacrifices  and  other  ceremonies,  or 
ecclesiastical  observances  of  the  law.  The  ceremonies  of  the  law 
were  either  (I)  the  holy  things,  as  all  the  different  ofTerings,  meats, 
drinks,  washings,  sprinklings,  incense-,  anointing  oil,  first  fruits  and 
tithes  ;  or  (2)  the  holy  persons,  who  celebrated  the  publick  worship, 
as  the  high  priest,  the  common  priests,  and  the  Levites  ;  or  (3)  the 
holy  places,  as  the  land  of  Canaan,  Jerusalem,  the  tabernacle  and 
temple  with  their  apartments,  as  the  holy  of  holies  with  the  ark  of 
the  covenant,  the  holy  place  with  the  golden  dlar,  the  table  and  can- 
dlestick, also  the  porch  with  the  brazen  altar,  the  laver,  and  all  the 
inst'uments,  which  were  used  in  the  holy  service  in  the  porch  ;  or 
(4)  the  holy  seasons,  as  all  the   festivals. 

Truly  a  most  costly,  obscure,  and  burthcnsome  vv-orship,  "  a  yoke 

which  the  fathers  could  not  bear,"  Acts  xv.  10.     Why  did  God  lay 

this  yoke  upon  them  ?  he  did  notboriow  it  from  the  Egyptians,  and 

correcting  it  somewhat,  give  it  to  them,  in  order  to  detach  them    by 

the  use  of  it  from  affecting  the  customs  of  the  heathens  :  for  "  the 

laws  of  Israel  were  different  from  those  of  all  other  people,"  Esther 

iii,  9.  God  deiested  the  laws  and  religion  of  the  heathens,  Deut.  xii. 

30.     When  Israel  made  a  calf  after  the  manner  of  the   Egyptians, 

they  broke  the  covenant  of  God,   Deut.  xxxii.     Neither  do  we  think 

that  God  gave  them  this  law,  in   order  to  punish  them  for  their  sin 

with  the  golden  calf;  foj-  he  had  given  them  many  parts  of  it  before 

that  sin,  and  he  broke  off  giving  it  to  them  on  account  of  that  sin, 

and  he  began,  presently  after  he  was  reconciled  to  the   people,    to 

perfect  it.     It  is  thcre;fore  better  to  say,  that  this  law  was    given    to 

Israel  ibr  *'  a  wall  of  partition,"  to  separate  them  from  other  nations, 

Eph.  ii.  14,  15,  also  to  convince  them  of  their  uncleanness,  and  guilt, 

and  in.:uce  them  to  seek  their  perfection  in  the  Mediator,  who  was  to 

come.     See  Coll.  ii.  17.  Heb,  viii.  5.  ix.  9,  10,  11.  x,  1.    The  Old 


VLLORD'SDAY,  Q.  15— ig.  j35 

Testament  church  was  in  a  state  of  imperfect  freedom,  and  of  child- 
hooi,  and  was  insiructed  in  higher  and  better  things  by  these  dif-, 
fi^;ult  rudin^ents.  If  time  would  permit,  we  would  si  ow  that  all 
these  ceremonial  observances  typified  that  the  Mediator  should  per- 
fect his  people  by  his  only  oft'erini^,  and  v/ith  his  blood  uiid  Spirit, 
that  he  siiouid  be  the  true  high  priest,  and  sliould  enter  into  the  holy 
of  holies,  even  heaven  itself,  with  his  own  blood,  and  thut  he  should 
procure  a  joyful  festival  for  his  New  Testament  church,  during  her 
whole  continuance  on  earth,  and  should  at  length  introduce  her  into 
the  heavenly  Canaan,  and  into  the  holy  Jerusalem,  the  rest  which 
remaineth  for  the  people  of  God  See  only  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews; 
for  we  cannot  speak  of  these  things  in  order  now. 

Not  only  were  the  ceremonies  of  that  law  types,  but  also  wan.y 
other  things  and  persons  of  that  time.  If  any  wish  to  see  a  more 
particular  account  of  them,  we  refer  him  to  our  "  Sketch  of  the 
structure  of  the  types,  exhibited  with  respect  to  its  established  fun* 
damental  rules,  and  agreeably  to  proper  standards,"  in  which  work 
he  may  also  see  that  the  types  were  not  mere  shadows  and  sketches, 
but  also  sacraments  and  seals,  by  which  God  ceFtined  and  sealed  to 
his  ancient  people  the  Messiah  who  was  to  come,  and  his  saving 
benefits.  Therefore  we  believe  that  the  Mediator  was  an  Ex^rO' 
Diissor  for  the  Old  Testament  church,  or  such  a  surety,  as  had  taken 
the  debt  on  himself  absolutely,  and  not  merely  a  Jidpjus<ior^  who  had 
undertaken  indeed  to  satisfy  for  her  debt,  but  nevertheless  suffered 
it  to  remain  on  her,  and  to  be  demanded  of  her,  until  she  should 
satisfy  in  him,  and  if  he  should  fail,  that  then  she  should  be  obliged 
<o  satisfy  for  herself,  and  atone  for  her  debt  by  eternal  misery  :  for 
if  he  had  not  taken  the  debt  on  himself  absolutely,  but  left  it  on  her, 
and  suffered  it  thus  to  be  demanded  of  her,  believers  would  not  then 
have  triumphed,  as  they  did,  on  account  of  the  forgiveness  of  their 
sins,  Psalm  xxxii.  ciii.  Isaiah  xxxviii.  17.  Rom.  iv.  6,  7,  8,  neither 
would  that  burthensome  worship  of  the  church  have  typified,  shadow- 
ed forth  and  sealed  the  Mediator  to  them,  and  they  would  not  have 
been  able  to  enter  into  the  everlasting  rest,  so  long  as  he  had  not 
satisfied  for  their  debt. 

Behold,  in  this  manner  did  God  make  known  the  gospel  of  promise, 
and  "  he  hath  also  lastly  accomplished  it  by  his  only  begotten  Son," 
and  so  hath  revealed  it  to  us  by  the  gospel  of  fulfilment  in  the  scrips 
tures  of  the  New  Testament ;  for  we  find  in  them,  that  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  God  co-essential  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Gl.ost, 
took  upon  himself  the  iiuman  nature,  continuing  one  person,  of  the 
virgin  Mary,  in  the  proper  time  and  nlyce :  that  he  ff^  ^be  suprenje 


^36  CHRIST  HEVE ALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL. 

Prophet,  Priest  and  Kin^ ;  that  he  was  humbled  and  exalted,  and 
was  thus  made  to  his  people  of  God  wisdom,  righteousness,  sancti- 
fication  and  redemption,  which  we  will  illustrate  and  prove  in  order, 
when  we  speak  of  God  the  Son  and  our  redemption* 


APPLICATION. 

\Vhat  think  ye,  beloved  hearers,  ought  not  wc  to  be  fully  pet^ 
Miaded  in  our  minds,  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  true  Messiah, 
according;  to  tlie  scriptures?  May  we  not  indeed  cry  out  with  Andrew 
and  Philip  '■'  We  have  found  the  Messiah,  of  whom  Moses  in  the 
law,  and  the  prophets  did  write,  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  son  of 
Joseph  ?"  John  i.  42,  45  For  all  that  was  foretold  and  prefigured 
of  the  vjessiah  is  perfectly  fulfilled  in  him  :  he  also  fully  proved  this 
from  the  scriptures  from  his  miracles  and  from  his  resurrection,  sa 
as  to  silence  the  Jews  :  and  his  apostles,  who  were  ear  and  eye-wit> 
nesses  of  these  things,  testified  of  them  with  so  much  power,  that 
those  who  lived  both  in  and  after  their  time  received  their  testimony 
V'lth  a  full  persuasion  of  mind.  It  is  indeed  truly  astonishing,  that 
the  Jews,  to  whom  were  committed  the  oracles  of  God,  denied  our 
Saviour,  as  they  do  even  until  this  day.  How  was  this  possible, 
might  we  ask  ?  But  the  word  of  Gcd  will  inform  us  that  God  hath 
forsaken  that  generation  in  his  wrath,  and  hath  abandoned  them  to 
blindness  and  hardness  of  heart.  They  know  neither  their  miserj*, 
nor  the  proper  method  of  deliverance:  they  stek  their  own  right- 
eousness, and  are  offended  at  the  humble  birth,  and  at  the  ignomi- 
nious crucifixion  of  Christ.  All  this  was  likewise  foretold  concerning 
this  people.  See  Isaiah  xi.  9,  10.  viii.  14,  15,  16.  xxix.  9—15.  Iviii, 
2 — 5.  There  is  nothing  that  they  can  endure  with  less  patience 
than  that  Jesus  hath  abolished  and  abrogated  their  ceremonial  law, 
as  though  it  were  not  foretold,  that  ihe  Messiah,  when  "  he  had 
mude  an  end  of  sins,  had  made  reconciliat  on  for  iniquity,  and  brought 
in  an  evei  lasting  rigliteousness,  should  then  also  cause  the  sacrifice 
and  oblation  to  cease,"  Dan.  ix.  24 — 27.  See  also  Jer.  iii.  15,  16,  \7. 

But  who  will  nut  de'est  the  opinion  of  the  Socinians,  that  the  Medi- 
ator is  not  God  and  man  in  one  person,  and  that  he  did  not  by  satis- 
fying the  justice  of  God,  btcome  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctifica- 
tion,  and  redemption  to  his  people  ?  They  say  that  he  is  not  more 
than  a  mere  man,  or  only  a  p:reat  prophet  on  account  of  his  heavenly 
doctrine,  great  miracles,  and  exemplary  conversation  and  death. 
».it  what  wonder  is  it,  that  they  degrade  Christians  in  this  manner, 


Vl,  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  i6--i9.  m 

they  have  conducted  thus  also  with  the  believing:  Jews,  upon  whose 
faith  Christianity  is  founded  ;  for  '^the  law  went  forth  out  of  Zion, 
and  the  word  of  the  Lord  out  of  Jerusalem  "  Isaiah  ii.  3,  and  «  salva- 
tion is  of  the  Jews."  John  iv,  22,    For  they  assert  that  the  fathers  of 
the  Old  Testament  had  lio  promises  concerning  the  forgive'iess  of 
sins,  or  of  eternal  life  in  the  Messiah,  who  was  to  c- tre  ;  that  he 
was  not  t\  pified  by  the  sacrifices  and  other  ceremonies  of  the  law, 
and  that  the  sacrifices,  which  were  then  offered  up  for  sins,  reconci- 
led the  sins  for  which  they  were  offcx-  d.   and  that  therefore  the  be- 
lievers of  that  time  did  not  seek  their  reconciliation  in  Christ,   when 
they  offered      Do  they  not  represent  the  fathers  as  Epicureans;  who 
cared  only  for   their  bellies  ?  do  they  not  deny  the  whole  gospel, 
which  teaches  nothing  different  nor  less  of  the  Mediator,  than  we 
have  exhibited?  Doth  not  the  word  of  God  say  plainly  and  frequently, 
that  the  Lord  established  his  covenant  of  £;race  with  the  fathers,  that 
he  was  their  God  ?  Gen.  xvii,  7.  Psalm  xxxiii,    12.  Matt.   xxii.  32, 
that  he  forgave  their  sins,   Gen    xv.  6.   Psalm  xxxii.  i,  2.  ciii.  3,  4. 
They  had  spiritual  peace  and  joy.  Isaiah  xxxviii.  17.  To  them  be- 
longed the   adoption,  Rom,  ix.   4,  sanctific'tiori,  preservation,  and 
glorificati(>n,  Psalm  xlviii.  14,   Psalm  xvii.  15.  They  had  "the  same 
Spirit  of  faith  "  with  us.  Psalm  cxvi.  10.  2  Cor.  iv.  13.  Heb  xi,  and 
indeed  faith  in  the  Messiah,  in  whom,  ana  for  whose  sake  they  de- 
sired and  obtained  all  things  of  God,  Psalm  ixxx.   17.   D>an.  ix-  17. 
Heb.  xi   27,  and  this  was  sealed  to  them  by  the  sjcraments,   which 
were  of  the  same  efficacy  with  ours,    1  Cor  x.  1 — 4.     What  think 
ye,  hearers,  may  we  look  upon  these  men,  who  deny  all  this,   either 
as  true  Israelites,  or  as  believing  Christians  ? 

But  how  forcible  are  the   right  words  of  our  instructor,  to  show 
the  concerned  sinner  the  good  way,  according  to  the  gospel,  to  es- 
cape punishment,  and  to  be  again  received  into  favour-     The  dis- 
tressed sinner  asks  how  he  may  obtain  the  favour  of  God  ;  and  he 
shows  him  not  only  the  necessity  of  a  satisfaction,  and  that  there  was 
no  possibility,  that  either  he  hirriself,  or  any  other  mere  creature 
should  satisfy,  but  that  this  could  be  accomplished  only  by  one,  who 
was  a  real  and  holy  man,   and  very  God  and  man  in  one  person,  in 
©rder  that  the  sinner  may  not  rest  upon  false  grounds,  but  may  be 
more  deeply  humbled.     And  that  he  may  not  however  through  des- 
pair wholly  neglect  to  seek  his  salvation,  he  shows  him  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  is  such  a  proper  mediator  and  deliverer,  and  that  he 
itiay  be  fully  persuaded  and   assured  of  this  by  the  gospel,  and  be- 
come a  partaker  of  him  and   his  fulness  by  faith.     Therefore  this 
information  is  perfectly  satisfactory  to  a  perplexed  mind.     For  (a> 

X 


■lS6  CHRIST  REVEALED  IX  THE  GOSPEL. 

hath  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  been  made  wisdom,  righteousness,  sane- 
tificalion  and  redemption,  then  he  hath  satisfied  the  justice  of  God, 
and  procured  a  deliverance  from  guilt  for  the  Imwible  sinner,  by 
^vhich  means  he  escapes  punishment.  For  there  is  no  condemnation 
to  them  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus,  becduse  he  hath  fulfilled  the  right- 
eousness of  the  law  in  us,"  Rom.  viii.  1,  3,  4.  (b)  The  sinner  is  thus 
also  again  received  into  favour,  since  he  is  brought  by  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ  into  God's  covenant  of  grace  ;  for  "  the  Lord  causes 
him  to  pass  under  the  rod,  and  brings  him  into  the  bond  of  the  cove- 
nant," Ezek.  XX.  37.  (c)  And  Christ  doth  thus  also  remedy  all  his 
grievous  cal.mities.  Is  he  foolish,  dolh  he  not  know  God's  way  of 
life  ;  Jesus  is  wisdom  to  him.  Is  he  guilty  ;  the  Mediator  is  right- 
eousness to  him.  Is  he  too  abominable,  and  hateful  to  receive  any 
favour  ;  Christ  is  sanctification  to  him.  Is  he  still  too  much  fettered 
and  bound  with  the  cords  of  misery  ;  the  Saviour  is  the  Redeemer, 
and  is  redemption  to  him.  (d)  The  sinner  needs  not  fear  that  God 
the  judge  will  not  be  pleased  with  the  Surety,  and  with  his  satisfac- 
tion. Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  made  this  of  God  to  him  :  the  Judge 
himself  appointed  him  to  be  a  surety,  sent  him  into  the  world,  de- 
manded the  debt  of  him,  and  showed  that  he  was  satisfied  with  him, 
when  he  raised  him  from  the  dead,  exalted  bim  at  his  own  right  hand, 
and  thus  *' justified  him,"  I  1  im.  iii.  16.  And  therefore  he  swears 
that  "  he  will  not  be  wa-oth  with  the  believing  smner,  nor  rebuke 
him,"  Isaiah  liv.  9.  (e)  Is  the  sinner  anxious  to  know  how  he  shall 
obtain  this  Mediator  for  himself ;  this  Saviour  is  offered  to  him  in 
the  gospel,  and  he  hath  only  to  choose  him  for  nimself  upon  that 
offer  ;  yea,  God  commands  him  to  do  this,  and  promi  eth  him  that 
"  he  w^ill  not  reject  him,"  but  will  receive  and  save  him,  John  vu  37. 
Isaiah  xlv.  22. 

May  and  must  we  not  then  say,  that  the  doctrine  of  our  reformed 
church  is  pure  and  evangelical,  according  to  the  word  of  God  ?  For 
it  is  one  of  the  best  evidences  of  the  truth  of  a  doctrine,  that  it  calms 
and  comforts  the  troubled  mind  of  a  distressed  sinner  perfectly  :  For 
*^  whatsoever  things  were  written  aforetime,  were  written  for  our 
learning  ;  that  we,  through  patience  and  comfort  of  the  scriptures, 
might  have  hope,"  Rom.  xv.  4.  And  who  of  those  who  are  not  of 
our  communion  are  comparable  to  us  in  this  respect  ?  the  Romanists 
require  that  the  distressed  sinner  should  satisfy  for  his  temporal  and 
eternal  punishment,  by  various  bodily  exercises  and  penances  of  hear- 
ing masses  for  souls'  abstaining  from  particular  meats  during  certain 
seasons,  saying  and  muttering  many  prayers,  going  upon  pilgrim- 
ages to  this  and  that  holy  place,  so  called,  and  celebrating  many  holy 


VI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.    16— ly.  139 

>Ay:.-     Will  this  not  suffice,  he  must  then  seek  indulgences,  and  the 
h.upererogatory  works  of  saints,  v/ho  were  more  than  perfect.     Doth 
he  come  short  still,  he  must  then  believe  and  be  assured,  that  he  will 
be  obliged   to  satisfy  for  Vrha?:  remains  in  an  exceedingly  hot  and 
burning  purgatory,  where  he  will  be  most  severely  tormented  a  long 
time,  and  vhat  he  cannot  be  delivered  out  of  it,  unless  many  prayers 
be  offered  up  for  him,  and  many  masses  for  the  dead  be  provided 
for  hira  by  the  living.     The  ISocinians  do  indeed  detest  these  trifles^ 
but  neither  do  they  heal  the  breach  in  the  spirit ;  for  they  do  not 
speak  of  a  satisfying  Mediator   but  only  say,  that  the  mourning  sin- 
ner must  believe  the  promises  of  Cod,  that  he  who  do;h   good  shall 
receive  a  good  reward.     Uoth  the  sinner  say,  that  he  hath  not  done 
any  good  work,  and  that  the  promises  do  not  therefore  belong  to 
him,  they  will  then  endeavour  to  soothe  him  with  an  exterjial  con- 
version, telling  him  that  he  must  lead  a  better  life   for  the  time  to 
come,  tnat  he  must  keep  the  easy  commandments  of  Christ,  and 
ti;at  Cod  will  then  forgive  his  former  sins.     The  Remonstrants  do 
not  condu^  t  much  better,   when  they  meet  with  a  sorrowful  sinner ; 
for  they  presently  quiet  him  with  vain  consolations,  and  say  that  he 
must  not  be  so  sorrwful,  that  his  case  is  certainly  not  so  lamentable, 
that  he  r^jpents  of  his  sins,  that  God  is  merciful,  that  Christ  hath 
died  for  every  sinner,  and  merited  a  sufficient  grace  :  that  he  must 
promise  to  lead  a  better  life,  and  to  make  a  better  use  of  the  powers 
of  his  free  v/ill,  and  that  God  will  then  grant  him  his  grace.    O  vain 
and  miserable  coniforters  of  sick  souls  !  they  show  that  they,  have 
not  yet  any  experimental  knowledge  of  the  abominable  nature  of  sin, 
nor  of  a  true  humiliation,  nor  of  the  satisfaction  nor  fulness  of  Christ, 
nor  of  a  perfect  consolation  ;  and  therefore  they  feed  the  poor  soul 
with  ashes,  and  put  a  lie  in  her  right  hand. 

But  if  our  doctrine  were  ever  so  efficacious  and  sufficient  to  quiet 
a  troubled  mind,  it  will  nevertheless,  not  administer  the  smallest  re* 
lief  unless  we  know  that  Christ  with  all  his  fulness  is  also  given  to  us 
of  God  :  that  he  is  not  given  to  all  men,  will  appear  on  the  following 
Lord's  day.  To  force  ourselves  into  a  steadfast  persuasion,  in  a  care- 
less manner,  without  any  foundation,  and  without  a  strict  examina- 
tion of  ourselves,  that  Christ  is  given  to  us,  is  building  the  hope  of 
our  salvation  upon  a  foundation  of  sand,  and  it  will  sink  the  sinner 
into  the  lake  ;  and  therefore  it  behooves  every  one  to  examine  him- 
self in  the  strictest  manner,  and  to  inquire  thoroughly  **  whether 
Christ  be  in  him,"  and  be  given  to  him.  2  Cor.  xiii.  5.  Is  it  your 
desire,  fi lends,  to  know  how  the  person  is  disposed,  to  whom  the 
Mediator  is  given,  that  ye  may  liken  and  compare  yourtelves  to  him  ? 


y^  CHRIST  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL. 

pbserve,  (a)  such  a  person  beholds  with  grief  and  detestation  h\» 
bhndness,  guilt,  filthiness,  impotence,  and  abominable  sins,  and  that 
not  only  others,  but  also  he  himself,  hath  deserved,  accordinet  to  the 
righteous  judgment  of  God,  temporal  and  eternal  punishment :  he 
is  concerned  and  distressed  on  this  account ;  he  sees  not  how  he 
shall  be  dehvered  ;  all  his  own  endeavours  and  exertions,  from  which 
he  formerly  derived  hope,  fail  him  ;  he  views  ihem  as  *'  loss  and  dung,*" 
Phil.  ii.  4 — 8  ;  and  he  cries  out  "  there  is  no  hope,  he  doth  not 
find  Liny  more  the  life  of  lis  hand,  and  therefore  he  is  grieved." 
Isaiah  Ivii.  10.  He  doth  not,  however,  wholly  abandon  himsel*  to 
an  entire  despair  ;  but  having  an  earnest  desirt-  to  escape  punish- 
mem,  and  to  be  again  received  into  favour,  he  looks  about  that  he 
may  find  some  means  to  obtain  that  end  ;  and  therefore  re  asks 
others,  "  what  he  must  do  tube  saved-"  Acts  ii.  37.  xvi.  30.  "He 
fas's  and  prays"  with  Saul,  Acts  ix.  11,  and  he  strives  earnestly  'to 
work  out  his  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling  ;  for  God  worketh 
in  him  both  to  will  and  to  do."  Pf'.ii.  ii.  12,  12.  He  will  also  not 
desist  nor  rest,  until  he  hath  some  evi  lences,  and  until  "  God  saith 
to  his  soul,  1  am  thy  salvation."  Psalm  xxxv.  3  ;  for  God  will  "  look- 
with  favour  only  '^  on  him,  wh©  is  poor  and  of  a  contrite  spirit," 
Isaiah  Ixvi.  2,  and  ''the  Redeemer  should  come  to  Zion  for  them 
who  turned  from  iniquity."  Isaiah,  lix.  20.(b)  Such  a  person  hath 
also  a  high  estimation  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ :  "  To  you  who  be-, 
lieve,  he  is  puci'.  us,"  saith  the  apostle.  1  Peter,  ii  17.  He  consid- 
ers him  as  so  capable,  sufficient,  and  adapted  to  all  his  necessities, 
that  his  soul  becomes  exceedingly  eager  and  desirous  to  possess 
him  :  he  betakes  himself,  therefore  to  praying  and  wrestling  for 
!iiiji,that  he  may  impart  himself  to  him  ;  he  surrenders  himself  to 
hino,  and  casts  himself  upon  him  ;  he  calls  and  fetches  him  in,  and 
he  ceases  not  to  wrestle  thus  in  faith,  until  he  reveals  and  imparts 
himself  to  the  soul.  Thus  the  Canaanitish  woman  acted.  Matt.  xv. 
22—28,  and  Saul,  Plilip.  iii  7 — 10,(c)  Such  an  one  doth  also 
desire  bim  with  all  his  benefits,  he  wishes  not  only  that  Christ  should 
make  him  wise,  bestow  his  righteousness  upon  him,  deliver  him 
from  his  misery,  and  save  him,  but  also  that  he  should  be  ^  anctifi- 
cation  to  him,  that  he  should  take  all  his  sins  from  him,  and  slay 
them ;  those  also,  which  appear  to  him,  as  far  as  he  is  carnal,  hon- 
purable,  profitable  and  agreeable ;  that  he  should  even  take  entire 
possession  of  his  whole  heart,  and  fashion  it  according  to  his  will ; 
^e  considers  holiness,  a  being  dead  to  himself,  being  resigned  to 
pod,  and  doing  the  will  of  '.iod  in  all  things,  as  the  most  glorious 
•dip4  iTio^t  happy  portion  that  a  person  can  enjoy  ;  therefore  he  de 


'     VI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  16—19.  14i 

iights  in  it,  and  cries  out  with  David  to  God,  Psalm  cxix.  45. 
*«  Thou  hast  commanded  u~^  to  keep  thy  precepts  diligently.  O 
that  my  ways  were  directed  to  keep  thy  statutes.(d)  C  hrist  and 
his  gospel  are  revealed  to  such  a  person  inwardly  and  effectually  by 
the  holy  Spirit,  to  who!»  belongs  the  dispensation  of  the  sjospel  ;  he 
not  only  reads  and  hears  out  of  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  not  only  apprehends  by  his  contemplations  who  and  what  be  is 
to  a  sini.er,  bm  Christ  himself  is  also  discovered  by  the  light  of  his 
Spirit  to  the  soul,  by  which  his  heart  is  warmed,  captivated  and 
drawn  forth  toward  him  in  taith  and  love.  ''  The  Lf^rd  opt-ns  his 
heart,  and  causes  him  to  give  heed  to  the  things  that  are  s  oken  by 
Paul,"  or  others  from  the  gospel,  Acts  xvi.  14.  He  obtams  "  the 
mind  of CIrist,"  I  Coi.  ii.  16.  "For  Go<l,  who  commanded  the 
light  to  si  line  opt  of  darkness,  shines  into  our  hearts,  to  give  the 
iigntofthe  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God,  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ,"    2  Cor.  iv.  6. 

Have  ye  no  knowledge  of  these  things,  have  ye  never  attended  to 
them,  nor  experienced  them,  can  ye  then  indeed  think  that  this 
great  V>ediator,  with  his  great  benefits,  is  given  of  God  to  you  ? 
surely  no:  but  it  behooves  you  to  know  that  ye  are  yet  "without 
Christ,  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  and  strangers  from 
the  covenants  of  promise,  having  no  hope,  and  without  God  in  the 
world,"  Eph.  ii.  12.  It  is  true,  ye  have  and  hear  the  gospel,  but  "  it 
doth  not  profit  you,  not  being  mixed  with  faith,',  Heb.  iv  2.  «  It  is 
hidden  from  you-  and  ye  perish,  the  pod  of  this  woild  hath  blinded 
your  minds,  lest  the  light  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  Christ  should 
shine  unto  you,"  2  Cov.  iv.  4  How  grievous  will  it  be  to  you  to 
perish  under  the  precious  dispensation  of  the  gospel !  Will  not  the 
Ninevites,  the  queen  '  f  Sheba,  Sodom  aud  C/omorrah,  Tyre  and  Si- 
doB,  yea,  all  the  nations  who  have  not  heard  the  gospel,  rise  up  in 
judgment  against  yo'.  (,  because  ye  have  neglected  such  a  favourable 
opportunity  to  be  saved,  which  they  never  enjoyed  ?  Friends,  it  will 
be  a  hell  in  the  midst  of  hell  to  you,  that  ye  have  not  improved  such 
an  acceptable  time  and  such  a  dny  of  salvation.  "  Or  do  ye  despise 
the  riches  of  his  goodness,  and  forbearance,  and  longsuffering,  not 
knowing  that  the  goodness  of  God  leadeth  you  to  repensance  ?  Ye 
do  then,  after  your  hardness  and  impenitent  hearts,  treasure  up  for 
yourselves  wrath  againit  the  day  of  wrath,  and  revelation  of  the  right- 
eous judgment  of  God,"  Rom.  li*  4,  5. 

Awake,  awake  therefore,  and  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  Ac- 
cept, and  lay  hold  on  the  Mediator,  and  "  kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  be 
angry,  and  ye  perish  from  the  way,  when  his  wrath  is  kindled  bitt 


44i  CHRIST  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL, 

a  Httle,"  Pselm  ii.  12.     For  (a)  do  ye  not  stand  in  need  of  him  ?  have 
ye  not  deserved  temporal  and  eternal  punishmetjt,  according  to  the 
righteous  judgment  ci  Ciod  ?  how  shall   ye  escape  and  be  again  re- 
ceived into  favour  r   or  do  ye  know  how  ye  can  by  wearying  your- 
selves with  certain  devoirs?  are  ye  not  foohsh,  worthy  of  condemna- 
tion, abomini»ble,_  and  altogether  miserable  ?  is  not  he  alone  sufficient 
to  fill  you  with  all  the  fulness  of  God  ?     *'  He  can  save  to  the   utter- 
most them  that  come  unto  God  through   him,"   saith    the  text.     O 
do  not  then  despise  him.Cb)     Ye  can  obtain  him  and  all  his  fulness  ;; 
for  he  calls  and  invites  you  to  him  :     '•  Turn  unto  me,  and  be  saved 
S|ll  the  ends  of  the  earth  ;■'  thus  he  saith  to  you  also,  who  are  alto> 
gether  miserable,   Isaiah  xly.  22.     "  God   himself  sets  him  forth  to 
jOU,to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his  blood,"   Rom*  iii.   25. 
"  Ho,  every  one   that  thirsteth  ;"  thus   he  crieth,  Isaiah  Iv.  1,  2,  S, 
**  come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  ye  who  have  no   money,  come,  buy 
wine    and   milk  without  money  and  without  price."   &c.     Yea,  he 
saith,  Rev.  xxii.    17,  "Let  whosoever   will  take   the  waters  of  life 
freely."     He  invites  even  all  those  who  live   under  the  gospel,  yea, 
those  also  who  are  lukewarm,   and  those  Avho  are  puffed  up  with  a 
proud  conceit  of  themselves  like  the  Laodiceans,  for  he  snith,  Rev. 
iii.  18.     "  I  counsel  thee  to  buy  of  me  geld  tried  in  the  fire,  that  thou 
mayest  be  rich  ;  and  white  raiment,  that  thou   mayest  be  clothed, 
and  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness  do  not   appear  ;    and   annoint 
thine  eyes  with  eye-salve,  that  thou  mayest  see."     For  what  pur-t 
pose  have  ye  preachers  ?  and  why  do  they  publish  the  gospel  to 
you  ?  is  it  not  that  they  may  persuade  you  to  believe,  and  that  they 
niay  adure   you  to  this  sufficient  Deliverer,  and  induce  you  to  lay 
hold  on  him  ?     "  Now  then,   we    are  ambassadours  for  Christ,  as 
thougli  God  did  beseech  you  by  us,  we  pray   you  in  Christ's  stead, 
be  ye  reconciled  to  God,"  2  Cor.  v.  20.(c)     May  ye  indeed  neglect 
to  receive  him,  when  he  is  offered  to  you  ?  is  not  this  enjoined  on, 
you  ?  may  ye  continue   unbelieving  ?    is  it  left  to  your  choice,  to 
embrace  the  Son  of  God  or  not  ?    surely  no  :  will  ye  then   be  wil- 
fully and  knov/ingly   disobedient,  and  perish  ?     Who,  who  is  there 
of  you  vvho  will  with  such  a  wicked  heart  of  unbelief,  depart  from  the 
Jiving  God  ?     Is  there  any  one  who  is  so  wicked,  do  thou,  and  tliou 
nevertheless  "  save  thyself  from  this  untoward  generation,"  Acts  ii. 
40.     "  Take  hold  of  the  strength  of  God,    that  thou  mayest  make 
peace  with  him,"  Isaiah   xxxvii.   4.     "  BelievtJ  in   the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved,"  Acts  xvi.   31.(cl)     Well,  sinner, 
wilt  thou  not  flee  to  him  ?  shouldest   thou  go  to  him,  and   receive 
him  in  vain  ?     No :  "  him  that  comcth  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  ca?;t 


VI.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  16—19.  U3 

aut,"  safth  he,  John  vi.  37.  Thou  wilt  not  fail  of  salvation,  if  thou 
wilt  only  receive  hini,  and  surrender  tnys'^lf  to  him  with  a  pertect 
heart.  "  lie  that  believeth,  and  is  baptiz  d,  shall  be  saved,"  saith 
the  moulli  of  truth  again  and  again,  Mark  xvi.  16.  John  iii.  16,  17, 
36.  He  confirms  it  with  a  double  "verily,"  Join  v.  M,  yea,  as  it 
were  with  an  oath,  Ezek.  xxxiii  1 1.  (e)  Will  yc  not  come,  but  re- 
main in  yourselves,  know  then  that  ye  are  guilty  of  a  most  heinous 
sin  ;  ye  despise  him,  his  fulness  and  love,  which  the  devils  cannot 
dj,  since  he  is  not  ofTered  to  them  ;  "  Ye  make  God  a  liiir,"  i  John 
V.  10.  He  upbraids  you  v/ilh  it  m  anger,  '*  that  ye  will  not  come  to 
him,  that  ye  may  have  life,"  John  v.  40.  "  His  wrath  lieth  and 
abideth  on  you,"  John  iii,  35.  "  When  distress  and  anguish  cometh 
upon  you,  and  ye  cali  upon  him,  thi;n  he  will  not  answer  ;  but  he 
"vvill  laugh  at  your  calamity,"  Prov.  i  20—33.  "  To-day  then,  if 
yc  will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts,"  Psalrn  xcv.  7,  8. 
'•  For  iiow  shall  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  gr? at  a  salvation  ? 
Heb.  ii.  3, 

But,  believers,  ye  who  have  chosen  and  received  him  ?Ione,  wholly 
and  frequently  for  j^ours,  in  truth,  and  with  a  perfect  heart,  because 
the  Lord  God  natn  offered  him  to  you  in  the  gospel,  and  captivated 
your  hearts  thereby  : 

1.  Believe,  and  be  assured  that  God  hath  given  him  to  you  with 
all  his  fulness,  and  tuat  he  is  yours,  aUvl  ye  are  his;  like  the  spouse 
wno  said  wiil.oi.t  do-ibtuig,  "  My  beloved  is  mine,  and  I  am  his," 
Song  ii  16.  "  Do  ye  not  know  your  own^  elves,  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
in  you,"  2  Cor.  xiii,  5.  Do  ye  not  know  with  Paul,  "  that  y^.  have 
believed  in  him?"  2  Tim  i.  12.  Can  yc  deny  your  sorrow  and 
concern  for  your  miserable  condition,  the  continual  outgoings  of  your 
hearts  toward  him  in  desires  and  longings,  your  hearty  surrendering^ 
of  yourselves  to  him,  and  receiving  of  him,  as  well  to  be  sanctified 
by  him,  as  to  be  saved  ;  can  yc,  we  say.  deny  these  things  ?  and  are 
they  not  considered  by  you  as  evidences  of  your  saving  interest  in 
him  ?  Well,  let  your  hearts  then  be  perfectly  assured  before  him  of 
his  love  to  you 

2.  Live  much  in  the  contemplation  of  his  excellency.  May  ye 
not  with  Stephen,  "see  the  heavens  opened,  and  the  Son  of  man 
stanrling  on  the  right  hand  of  God,"  Acts  vii.  56  ;  endeavour  to 
contemplate  him  in  his  glorious  gospel,  and  led  up  by  it,  to  entep 
wi  h  Moses  into  the  clouds,  and  with  open  face  to  behold  the  glory 
of  the  Lord,  as  in  a  glass,  and  thus  to  see  this  King  in  his  beauty  in 
a  far  country.  He  is  certainly  worthy  of  your  wliole  understanding; 
all  th.vt  was  ever  foresaid  and  foreshown  of  him,  as  fair  and  glorious 


U4  CHRIST  REVEALED  IN  THE  GOSPEL. 

exists  in  him  in  the  most  perfect  m inner:  whatever  is  larking  im 
you,  can  be  found  in  him.  He  liath  a  f  ilntss  of  i^racc  to  supply  all 
your  JeficicDcics  :  he  is  perfectly  adapicd  to  all  your  necessities: 
*'  in  him,  and  in  iiis  love,  there  is  a  breadth,  length,  depth,  and 
heii^hi,  and  to  know  this  fiMs  us  with  all  the  fulness  of  God,"  Eph. 
iii.  18,  19.  It  afibi'ds  a  wondef.l  joy  to  the  soul  to  contemplate 
him,  '^  she  wa  ks  in  tie  light  of  his  countenance,  and  rejoices  in  his 
name  dl  the  day  lon;^,"  Fs.ilm  Ixxxix.  15,  16.  Yea,  "  she  is  chang- 
ed ufier  ihe  glorious  imaii,e  ol  the  Lord,  which  she  beholds  with 
open  fcice,  from  glory  to  glory,  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,"  2  Cor. 
iii.  IS. 

3.  Behold  now  your  happ-ness,  and  the  great  kindness,  that  hath 
been  shown  to  you  :  what  l5ath  God  the  Lord  done  f')r  you,  that  he 
might  deliver  you  from  punishme-nt,  and  restore  you  to  favour  ? 
He  do-.li  not  merely  admit  a  surety,  but  he  appoints  !iis  "^on,  in  his 
cverlasiiu;;- conned  lo  be  one  ;  he  sends  him  in  the  likeness  of  sinful 
flesh,  inflicts  on  him  the  punishment  of  your  sins,  m  your  stead,  re- 
ceives vou  into  his  covenant,  gives  you  this  Mediator  and  D  iiverer 
to  be  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctifacation  and  redemption  to  you, 
causes  you  'o  emi.race  him,  and  publishes  the  gospel,  even  the  gos- 
pel of  f'diilmeut  so  you.  How  obscutely  was  it  publsiied  to  the  fa- 
tntrs  !  but  it  is  announced  with  exceeding  clearness  to  you.  What 
a  burthensome  service  did  he  inopose  on  the  fathers  !  but  he  hath 
freed  you  therefrom.  How  earnestly  did  they  desire  these  days, 
that  they  might  see  <.  hribt  in  the  flesh  !  but  they  might  not  live  un- 
til these  days,  and  God  hath  provided  some  belter  thing  for  you  : 
"  iJlcsbcd  arc  your  eyes,  for  th'iy  see  ;  and  your  ears  for  they  hear. 
*'  For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  many  prophets  and  righteous  men 
have  desu^ed  to  see  those  things  wldch  ye  see,  and  have  not 
seen  them:  and  to  hear  those  things  which  ye  hear,  ai.d  have  not 
heard  them,"  saith  the  Redeemer  of  Israel,  Malt.  xiii.  16,  i  7.  re- 
joice then  exceedingly  on  account  of  this  salvation,  which  hath  been 
accomplished  :  "  It  should  be  said  in  this  day,  Lo,  this  is  our  God, 
we  have  waited  for  him,  and  he  will  save  us  :  this  is  the  Lord,  we 
have  waited  for  him.  we  will  be  glad,  and  rejoice  in  his  salvation," 
Isa'ah  XXV.  9.  ''  Rejoice  then  greatly  in  the  Lord,  let  your  souls  he 
joyful  in  their  God,  for  he  hath  clothed  you  with  the  irarmenls  of 
salvation,  he  hath  covered  you  with  the  rohe  of  rig!itcousness," 
Isaiah  Ixi.  10.  Yea,  "  let  all  the  seed  of  Israel  glo.y  in  tJie  Loid," 
Isaiah  xlv.  25. 

4.  Improve  therefore   your  Mediator  and  all  bis  fulness,  as  your 
necessities  require,"  receiving  of  his  fulness,  and  grace  for  grace," 


VI.   LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  16~19.  145 

John  i,  15.  "  That  he  may  supply  all  your  needs  acccrdiii?^  to  his 
riches,  and  fulfil  all  the  good  pleasure  of  his  goodness,  and  the  work 
of  failh  with  power,"  Philip,  iv.  19.  8  Thes.  i.  1 1.  Behold  continu- 
ally your  W;ints,  your  darkness,  gui't,  sinfulness,  and  other  n-iiseiies  ; 
and  see  that  there  is  a  fulness  of  wisdom,  righteousness,  sunctification 
and  redemption  in  him  against  all  this,  particularly  for  you  ;  go  to 
him  'vitii  your  distresses,  receive  of  his  fuhiess  against  them,  and 
suck  therefrom,  through  the  conduits  of  the  p  omises,  whatever  ye 
need  ;  suffer  him  to  exe:^ute  his  office  upon  you,  for  "  he  is  all,  and 
in  all,"  Coll.  iii.  11,  and  "  is  exalted  to  he  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour  to 
give  repeniance  to  Israel,  and  forgiveness  of  sins,"  Acts  v.  31. 

J.  Finally,  to  conclude,  "  Only  walk  worthily  of  the  gospel  of 
Christ,"  Phil.  i.  27,  that  is  humbly,  bclievingly,  joyfully,  h^iily,  cir- 
cumspectly, and  Vv'ith  self-denial  toward  all  things  out  of  him. 
"  For,"  as  the  apostle  sai'.h,  Titus  ii.  1 1,  12,  13,  '*  the  grace  of  God, 
which  bringeth  salvation,  hath  appeared  to  all  men  ;  teaching  us 
that  denying  ungodliness,  and  v/orldiy  lusts,  we  sliould  live  soberly, 
TJghteotisly,  and  godly  in  this  present  world  :  looking  for  that  bles- 
sed hope,  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  tlie  great  God,  and  our  Sa- 
viour Jesus  Christ,"  Amen, 


146  ) 


SAVING  FAITH 


VII.  LORDS  DAY^ 


John  iii  36.  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son,  hath  everlasting  life  s 
and  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son,  shall  not  see  life  ;  but  ihe  wrath 

of  God  abideth  on  him. 

Q.    20.  ^re  all  men  thtn^  as  they  furish  in  jJdam^  saved  by  Christ  ^ 

A.  No  ;  only  those  who  are  ingrafted  into  him,  and  receive  all  his 
benefits,  by  a  true  faith. 

Q.  2 1 .    Whal  is  true  faith  ? 

A.  True  faith  is  not  only  a  certain  knowledge,  whereby  I  hold 
for  truth  all  that  God  has  revealed  lo  us  in  his  word,  but  also  an  as- 
sured confidence,  which  the  Holy  Ghost  works  by  the  tjospel  in  my 
heart ;  that  not  only  to  others,  but  to  me  also,  remission  of  sins, 
everlasting  righteousness  and  salvation,  are  freely  given  by  God, 
merely  of  grace,  only  f  r  the  sake  of  Christ's  merits. 

Q,  22.   iVhat  is  then  necessa^  y  for  a  Christian  to  believe  ? 

A.  All  things  promised  us  in  the  gospel,  which  the  articles  of  our 
undoubted  catholic  Christian  faith  briefly  teach  us. 

Q    23.    What  are  those  articles  ? 

A.  I.  "  I  believe  in  God  the  Father,  Almighty  Maker  of  heaven 
and  earth. 

r.  And  in  Jesus  Christ,  his  only  begotten  Son.  our  Lord. 

IH.  Who  vvas  conceived  by  the  Holy   Ghost,  born  of  the  virgin 

Mary. 

IV.  Suffered  «inder  Pontius  Pilate  ;  was  crucified,  dead  and  buri- 
«;d.     He  descended  into  hell : 

V.  The  third  day  he  rose  again  from  the  dead  : 

VI.  He  ascended  into  heaven,  and  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God 
ihe  Father  Almighty  : 

VH.  From  thence  he  shall  come  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead 
Vni.   I  believr  in  the  Holv  Gho?^t  : 


VII.  LOR'S  DAY.  Q.  20—22.  nr 

iX.  I  believe  an  holy  catholic  church  :  the  communion  of  saints  j 
X.  The  forgiveness  of  sins  ; 
Xi.  The  resurrection  of  the  body  : 
Xli.  And  the  life  ever.asting,  Amen." 

«  ri  1 

JL   HE  word  preached  did  not  profit  them,   not  being  mixed 
with   faith."     Thus  speaks  Paul  of  the  disobedient  Israelites,  "  to 
wiiom  the  gobpel  was  preached,  as  well  as  to  u","  Heb   iv.  2.     The 
gospel  is  mort  profitable  to  man  than  aught  besides  ;  for  it  reveals 
Christ  and  all   his  benefits  to  him,  it  offers  all  grace  and  salvation  to 
him,  it  orders  him  to  receive  the  Saviour  for  himself  it  promiseth 
him  all  salvation  in  the  Saviour,  and  '*  he  is  saved  only  by  the  gos- 
pel," I  Cor.  XV.  1,  2.   This  salutary  gospel  was  preached  to  the  dis- 
obedient Israelites  also  in  the  wilderness,   '.vhen  God  established  his 
covenant  of  grace  wi'h  them  on  Sinai,  although  with  a  legal  admin- 
istration, when  "he  sent"  his  Son,  "the  anii^el  in  whom  his  name 
was,  before  them,"  Exod.  xxiii.  20 — 23.   "promised  him   to  them, 
as  a  prophet,  like  Moses,"   Deut.  xviii.    16 — 19,  and  when  he  typi- 
fied him  "  by  the  manna,  by  the  rock,"  I  Cor.  x.  3,  4,  and  by  all  the 
ordinances  of  the  ceremonial  law,   Coll.  ii,    17.  Heb   viii.  5.  x.  5, 
but  although  the  gospel  is  so  exceedingly  profitable,  "  it  ihd  not  jjrof- 
it  them,  because  it  Mas  not   mixed  with   faith  ;  for  they  had  not  an 
heart  to  understand,"  Deut.  xxix.  4.     *'  They  did  not  look  to  the 
end  of  that  which  is  abolished  ;  but  their  minds  w.;re*blinded."  2  Cor. 
iii.  13,  14.     '^  When  they  heard  the  voice  of  tiie  gospe  '  they  haid- 
ened  their  hearts,  and  they  could  not  enter  in.   because  of  unbelief," 
Psalm  xcv.  7 — 11.  Heb.  iii.  14 — 19.     For  it  is  f.ith  which  renders 
the  gospel  profitable  to  man  ;  for  by  faith  a  person  not  onlv  acknowl- 
edges it  to  be  true  and   divine,  and  is  moved   and  influenced  by  it, 
1  Thess.  i.  15,  hut  he  doth  also  by  fjith  receive  the  Saviour,  Eaid  ull 
his  saving  benefits  for  himself,  according  to  the  offer  of  the  pospel, 
^vhich  saith,  "  ile  who  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life,  &c. 
John  iii.  36. 

This  the  instructor  also  teacheth  us.  He  had  taught  in  the  fore- 
going Lord's  day,  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  the  perfec  t  Sa- 
viour of  sinners  and  he  had  proved  this  from  the  gospel ;  but  now  he 
shows  that  Christ  is  nevertheless  not  a  "  Saviour,  and  that  the  gospel 
is  not  profitable  to  all  who  have  perished  in  Adam,  but  only  to  t' ose, 
who,  according  to  the  gospel,  are  ingrafted  into  him.  and  receive  all 
his  benefits  by  a  true  faith  In  order  th»t  he  may  give  us  a  proper 
account  of  this  faith,   he   speaks  of  it  at  large,  showing  (1)  how 


148  SAVING  FAITH, 

necessary  it  is,  Question  20.  (2)  Wherein  it  consists,  Question  21. 
(3)  vVhat  is  the  object  of  it,  Question  22 — 58.  (4)  In  what  respect 
it  is  profitable,  Question  59 — ^^64  (5)  Mow  it  is  wrought  and  con* 
firmed,  Question  §5 — 85. 

We  must  at  present  explain  only  three  particulars  with  respect  to 
faith. 

I.  The  necessity  of  it,  Q.  20. 

II.  The  brief  representation  of  the  object  of  it,  Q.  22,  23. 

III.  The  naiure  of  faith,  Q   21. 

1.  It  is  taken  for  granted  here,  that  "  all  men  are  cursed,"  that  is, 
eondemnable  >'  in  Adam,"  because  this  is  taufht  in  the  seventh  ques- 
tion. It  is  asked  now,  whether  "  all  men,  as  they  have  perished  in 
Adam,  are  also  saved  by  Christ  ?"  This  question  appears  strange, 
since  it  is  universally  acknowledged,  that  ail  men  are  not  saved  by 
Christ.  There  have  indeed  been  certani  persons,  who  have  taught 
that  all  men  were  saved  ;  but  they  have  been  few,  and  ther  cirone- 
ous  opmion  hath  long  since  been  dead  with  them.  The  instructor 
intends  therefore  something  else  by  this  question,  and  indeed  whether 
men  be  saved  from  their  birth  by  Christ,  without  any  intervening  act 
of  the  soul,  as  they  perish  in  Adam  by  their  birth,  without  any  act 
of  the  person  who  is  born.  For  there  are  many  careless  persons, 
who  fondly  imagine  that  they  shall  be  saved  by  Christ,  ahhough 
the^  do  nothing  to  obtain  him  for  salvation.  The  catechism,  in  or- 
der to  root  out  such  a  false  imagination,  shows  that  we  cannot  be  sa- 
ved by  Christ  from  our  birth,  without  any  act  of  our  own,  as  we 
have  perished  in  Adam  :  but  that,  in  order  to  be  saved,  we  must  be 
incorporated  into  Christ  by  faith,  since  we  are  not  m  Christ  by  na- 
ture, nor  proceed  from  him  by  our  birth,  as  we  are  by  nature  in 
Adam,  and  proceed  from  him  by  our  birth.  And  therefore  some  act 
must  be  done,  whereby  we  are  ingrafted  into  him  supernalurally, 
which  act  is  faith  ;  but  we  would  rather  say  that  this  question  is 
asked,  because  there  have  been  certain  persons  of  old,  to  wit,  the 
Pelagians  and  Semipelagians,  and  because  there  are  still  certain  per- 
sons, to  wit,  the  Jesuits  and  Remonstrants,  and  many  who.  collude 
with  them,  who  conceive  that,  as  all  men  were  brought  into  a  state 
of  perdition  by  Adam,  so  all  men  are  brought  into  a  scate  of  salvation 
by  Christ,  that  Chrifct  died  for  all  men,  and  merited  salvation  for  all, 
as  Adam,  according  to  our  doctrine,  deserved  perdition  by  his  sin  for 
all.  This  errour  proceeds  from  another  erroneous  opinion.  These 
men  hold  that  Christ  did  not  satisfy  the  justice  of  God  for  all  the 
sins  of  his  p  .ople,  but  only  the  will  of  God,  which  did  not  demand 
all,  but  only  a  sma"l  part  j  that  Christ  having  obeyed  this  will,  God, 


VII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  20— a^i^  1^, 

by  a  gracious  estimation,  accepted  of  that  small  part,  instead  of  a  full 
satisfaction  for  all  men,  and  was  moved  thereby  to  establish  a  general 
covenant  of  grace  with  all  men,  and  to  bestow  a  sufficient  grace  upon 
them  all,  whereby  they  should  be  enabled  to  make  a  proper  use  of 
their  free  will ;  for  God  requires  of  them,  as  a  condition,  in  the  cove- 
nant, that  they  should  exert  their  free  will,  in  order  to  beheve,  obey 
and  persevere.  The  reason  why  all  men  are  nevertheless  not  saved, 
though  Christ  died  for  all,  is  that  they  do  not  make  a  right  use  of 
this  free  will.  There  are  indeed  some  ot  the  Reformed,  who  also 
imagine  that  Christ  died  for  all  men ;  but  they  add,  that  saving  faith 
in  Christ  depends  not  upon  free  will,  as  those  who  are  out  of  the  Re- 
formed church  assert,  but  only  upon  the  decree  of  God  and  effectual 
grace.  *  The  instructor  opposeth  this,  and  teaches  that  all  men  are 
not  saved  by  Christ,  and  therefore  that  he  did  not  bring  them  all  by 
his  death  into  a  state  of  salvation.  And  he  doth  not  teach  this  with- 
out a  reason :  for, 

1.  Christ's  death  and  merits,  whereby  man  is  saved,  belong  not  to 
all  men,  but  are  restrained  to  a  certain  number.  He  saves  none  but 
"hjs  people,"  Matt.  i.  21,  "  his  body,  of  which  he  is  the  Saviour,  and 
his  church,  for  which  he  gave  himself,"  Eph.  v.  2S,  25.  "  He  is  the 
author  of  eternal  salvation  to  all  them  that  obey  him,"  Heb  v.  9, 
f^  He  gives  eternal  life  to  as  many  as  the  Father  hath  given  him," 
John  xvii.  2.  <♦  He  lays  his  life  down  for  his  sheep,"  Jolm  x.  1 1,  15. 
Now  all  men  are  not  his  people,  his  body,  his  church,  those  who 
obey  him,  who  are  given  to  him,  his  sheep :  "  Ye  are  not  of  my 
sheep,"  saith  he  to  the  Jews,  John  x.  26. 

2.  We  suppose  that  the  Mediator  was  obliged  to  satisfy  the  justice 
of  God  fully,  as  we  have  proved  already  upon  the  fifth  Lord's  day : 
we  also  suppose  that  he  hath  satisfied  fully,  which  we  will  show  on 
the  fifteenth  Lord's  day.  If  now  Christ  satisfied  the  justice  of  God 
for  all,  it  must  follow,  either  that  all  men  will  certainly  be  saved, 
and  cannot  be  punished  with  perdition  for  any  sin,  which  none  will 
assert ;  or  that  God  is  not  just,  since  he  would  punish  guilt  twice, 
once  in  his  Son,  and  once  in  the  sinner,  who  perisheth.  Since  we 
may  not  think  thus  of  the  righteous  God,  therefore  it  is  also  certain, 
that  the  Surety  did  not  die  for  all. 

3.  Add  to  this,  that  the  Saviour  actually  communicates,  and  effec« 

•  By  these  the  author  means  the  Amyraldisis,  or  followers  of  Moses  Amyr,^ 
jtldus  or  Amyraut,  a  professor  of  theology  in  the  univeriity  of  Saumur  in 
France,  about  the  middle  of  ihe  seventeenth  century.  They  are  also  called 
Univcrsalists,  although  they  do  not  hold  with  our  modern  sect  of  that  xiztm, 
that  all  men  shall  be  saved. 


150  SAVING  FAITH. 

tually  applies  salvation  to  them,  for  whom  he  purchased  it ;  for  "  he 
gives  eternal  life  to  his  sheep,  for  whom  he  laid  down  his  life,"  John 
X.  15,  28,  As  he  merited  salvation  by  his  humiliation,  so  he  also 
applies  il  by  his  exaltation  :  *'  he  was  delivered  for  our  offences,  and 
raised  again  for  our  juslification,"  Rom,  iv.  25,  "  For  if  when  w^ 
were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son  : 
much  more  being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  his  life,"  Rom, 
3/,  \0o  As  he  was  not  humbled  for  himself,  but  for  his  people,  so  he 
"aras  also  exalted  for  them,  that  he  might  be  a  "  Prince  and  a  Saviour, 
to  give  repentance  to  Israel,  and  forgiveness  of  sins,"  Acts  x.  5l\ 

5.  He  saith  himself,  John  xvii.  9.  «  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but 
for  them  whom  thou  hast  given  me."  Would  he  not  pray  for  the 
world,  and  vvould  he  die  f  r  it  ?  Our  adversaries^  say,  Christ  applies 
salvation  by  his  intercession,  but  he  obtained  it  by  his  death,  and  they 
thmk  that  he  was  wiUing  to  obtain  salvation  for  all,  but  not  willing 
to  apply  it  to  all.  But  he  communicates  salvation  to  all,  for  whom 
he  merited  it,  as  w^  have  just  now  seen,  and  besides  this,  he  prays 
also,  for  all  for  whom  he  died  ;  for  his  death  and  intercession  always 
accompany  each  •  ther  :  "  He  bore  the  sins  of  many,  and  made  inters 
cession  for  the  transgressors,"  Isaiah  iiii  12.  VVe  see  this  also, 
Rom.  viii.  34.  I  John  ii.  1,2. 

5.  ''  Christ  did  not  die  in  vain,"  as  Paul  supposeth.  Gal.  ii.  2  I  ; 
but  if  he  died  for  ail  men,  ^  then  he  died  in  vain  for  those  who  are 
npt  saved  :  for  they  miss  both  the  virtue  and  fruit  of  Christ's  death. 
If  not  one  man  had  made  a  good  use  of  his  free  will,  so  called,  as 
might  have  happened,  if  the  will  be  absolutely  free,  as  the  Pelagi^^ns 
say,  then  not  one  man  would  have  obtained  salvation,  although 
Christ  had  died  for  him.  And  so  his  death  wouU  have  been  alto- 
gether in  vain. 

6.  The  doctrine,  that  Christ  died  for  aU  men,  is  replete  with  ab<? 
surdities  :  for  (a)  if  he  died  for  all  men,  then  he  died  for  those  who 
were  already  damned,  as  Cain  and  others  j  for  "  his  death  was  for 
the  redemption  of  the  transgressions  tliat  were  under  the  first  testa- 
ment," Heb.  ix.  15.  (b)  He  died  then  also  for  those  who  never  hear 
ofhim,  norcan  believe  in  him,  and  who  cannot  thus  berome  par- 
takers of  him,  nor  make  use  of  their  free  will  for  that  purpose,  as 
the  heathens,  who  have  never  heard  of  the  gospel,  and  whom  God 
suffers  to  walk  in  their  own  ways  (c)  We  are  not  then  saved  on  ac- 
count of,  and  by  the  death  of  Jesus,  but  on  account  of,  and  by  our 
good  use  of  our  free  will ;  for  upon  that  alone  depends  the  efficacy 
and  fruit  of  his  death,  (d)  The  sinner  would  then  also  have  a  good 
free  will,  and  an  ability  to  make  a  pro*^.table  and  saving  use  of  th^ 


VII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  20—23,  IfUr 

death  of  Christ ;  but  this  we  have  found  on  the   e'ghth  and  ninth 
questions  to  be  false. 

If  we  will  collect  all  these  reasons,  and  attend  to  each  of  them  in 
particular,  we  shall  necessarily  conclude  that  Christ  did  not  die  for 
all  men',  nor  merit  salvation  for  all. 

Let  none  object  here  the  words,  "  God  will  have  all  men  to  be 
saved,"  and  "the  Mediator  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all,"  1  Timo 
ii.  4,  6.  for  this  doth  not  mean  every  individual  man,  since  it  is  added, 
«  God  will  have  all  men  to  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth." 
Now  God  doth  not  will  this  concerning  every  individual,  for  he  doth 
not  reveal  the  truth  to  every  individual ;  but  all  men  are  here  al! 
sorts  of  men,  as  "  kings,  and  those  who  are  hi  authority,"  vrs.  1,  2, 
who  were  at  that  time  heathens,  for  whom  the  Christians  were  never- 
theless bounden  to  pray,  because  God  would  have  such  also  to  be 
saved. 

Doth  John  say,  that  "  Jesus  Christ  is  a  propitiation,  not  only  for 
our  sins,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,"  1  John  ii.  2,  he 
doth  not  mean  by  the  ^vhole  world  all  men,  and  every  individual  in 
particular ;  for  the  words  world,  and  the  whole  world  denote  often 
only  a  great  number  of  men.  See  Luke  ii.  I.  I  John  xii.  19.  But 
by  the  whole  world  he  means  all  kinds  of  men  in  the  world,  and 
particularly  the  heathens  in  opposition  to  the  Jews,  who  were  the 
only  persons  to  whom  salvation  pertained  under  the  Old  Testament, 
John  xi.  51,  52.  For  the  heathens  are  called  the  world  in  this  sense, 
Rom.  xi.  12.  «  Abraham  should  be  an  heir  of  the  world,"  Rom.  iv. 
13,  not  of  every  man,  but  of"  every  family  and  people,  who  should 
be  blessed  in  his  seed,"  Gen.  xii.  3.  xxii  17,  18,  "and  who  should 
believe,  to  whom  the  righteousness  of  faith  should  be  imputed,"  ac- 
cording to  Rom.  iv.  11,  12,  13. 

Paul  saith  indeed,  Rom.  v.  18.  "  As  by  the  offence  of  one,  judg- 
ment came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation:  even  so  by  the  right- 
eousness of  one,  the  free  f^ft  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of 
life."  But  he  doth  not  intimate  by  these  words,  that  all  men,  who 
have  perished  in  Adam,  are  brought  into  a  state  of  salvation  by  the' 
death  of  Christ ;  for  he  would  then  assert  that  they  would  all  be 
saved,  since  he  saith  "  that  the  free  gift  came  upon  aH  men  unto 
justification  of  life,"  which  justification  pertains  to  the  application  of 
the  purchased  salvation,  according  to  Rom.  iv,  25.  "  Grace  reigns 
through  righteousness  to  eternal  hfe,"  as  he  sahh  vrs.  21.  And  there- 
fore all  men  are  here,  not  all  who  have  perished  in  Adam,  but  all 
who  belong  by  the  covenant  of  grace  to  Christ,  as  their  head  and 
*  receive  through  him  abundance  of  grace,  and  of  the  gift  of  right* 


.15^  HAVING  FAirfl. 

eousncss,  and  reign  in  life,"  vrs.  17.  Therefore  the  apostle  designs' 
by  the  words,  vrs  18,  which  are  objected,  that  as  Adam  subjected 
all  those,  who  were  his,  and  who  were  reckoned  under  him  in 
the  covenant  of  works,  to  guilt  and  condemnation,  so  Christ  hath  de- 
livered all  the  elect,  who  are  reckoned  under  him  in  the  covenant  of 
grace,  from  condemnation,  and  hath  brought  them  into  a  state  o^ 
salvation  :  for  Adam  and  Christ  are  set  forth  in  this  chapter,  as  two 
distinct  heads,  who  govern  each  a  distinct  people,  according  to  a 
distinct  covc*nant :  and  Christ  is  represented,  0s  bringing  those  who 
are  his,  into  a  state  of  salvation,  in  the  same  manner  in  which  Adam 
brings  those  who  are  his  into  a  state  of  condemnation.  See  vrs. 
1^—21. 

Therefore  whoever  examines  the  word  of  God  without  prejudice, 
will  be  oblii^ed  to  admit,  that  Christ  did  not  purchase  salvation  for  aU 
men,  and  that  all  men  are  therefore  not  saved  by  him.     But  since 
the  careless   sinner  "  feeds  himself  without  fear,"  therefore  he  ima- 
gines that  many  will  notwithstanding  be  saved  by  Christ,  and  he  sup- 
poses that  he  will  be  one  of  that  great  number ;  for  he  will  not  think 
the  worst  of  himself,  and  he  deceives  himself  thus  with  vain  imagi- 
nations :  for  very  few  are  saved  by  Christ :    "the  gate  is  strait,  and 
the  way  is  narrow  that  leadeth  unto  life,  and  few  there  be  that  find 
it,"  saith  the  Saviour,  Matt.  vii.  14.    *'  The   Father  giveth  his  king- 
dom only  to  a  little  flock,"  Luke  xii.  32.  In  the  old  world  "  all  flesh 
had  corrupted  its  way,"   Gen    vi    12,  and  only  "eight  souls  were 
saved  in  the  ark,"  1  Peter  iii.  20,  and  among  them  there  was  a  Ham» 
who  was  cursed   on  account  of  his  wickedness.    Gen.  ix.  22— 25, 
There  were  not  ten  righteous  persons  in  Sodom,  Gen.  xviii.  S2r 
We    read  of  only   one  Melchizedek  in  Canaan :  we  find  only  the 
family  of  Abraham  m  Ur,  of  the  Chaldees,   and  there  were  but  few- 
godly  persons  with  Job  in  Syria.     The  posterity  of  Abraham  multi- 
plied indeed  exceedingly,  but  God  suffered  other  nations  to  walk  in 
their  own  ways.     Salvation  came  indeed  afterwards  to  the  Gentiles, 
but  how   many  have   remained  blind  and  hardened  I  How  few  arc 
there  of  those  called  Christians,  who  have  not  declined  to  Mahome- 
tan, Antichristian  and  Pelagian  errours  !  "Many  are  "  indeed  out- 
wardly "  called  "  to  fellowship  with  God,  "  but  few  are  chosen,'" 
Matt,  xxii,  14.     And  if  we  had  no  other  proof,   it  would  still  be  suf- 
ficicnily  evident,  that  few  will  be  saved,  from  the  general  ignorance, 
carihly-mindedness,  irreligiousncss  and  ungodliness  of  those  who 
profess  the  truth.     The  number  of  those  who  arc  saved  is  in  itself 
mdccd  "  a  multitude  which   no  man  can  number,"  Rev.  vii.  9,  but 
compared  with  those  who  arc  lost,  the  number  of  those  who  are 
•avcd  is  exceedingly  small- 


VII,  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  20—23.  isi 

But  how  are  they  saved  ?  without  any  act  of  their  own,  as  they 
Jperished  in  Adam?  No:  for  although  Christ   purchased  salvatioii 
for  them  without  any  act  ot  their  own,  ne'.crtheless  they  do  not  be- 
come partakers  of  the  purchased  salvation,  except  by  faith  :  ^he  word 
of  God  teacheth   us  this  every  where.     See  only  at  present,    *.u'.rk. 
xvi.  16.  John  ill.  i6,   36.  Acts  x   43.  xvi.  31.     Not  ihat  faith  is  au 
Sict  of  such  great  clignity,  but  (a)  because  the  t  lect  "  are  ingrafted 
inio  Christ,"  by  faith      Without  fairh  a  man  is  without  Christ,  an 
alien  from  the   commonweaLh  of  Israel,"  Sec.  Epl-es.  ii,   12,  and 
thus  like  '^  a  branch  separated  from  the  vine,  and  cast  forth,"  John 
XV.  6.     But  faith  unites  a  person  to  Christ,  and  *  Christ  dwells  in 
the  heart  by  fai';h,"  Eph-  iii.  17,  and  we  become  one   ^  Ian*:  ard  one 
body  with  him,  obtain  his  saving  influences;  and  are  reckoned,  as 
though  we  had  been  humbled  and  exalted  V/ith  him.  See  this  Rom. 
vi.  4,  5.  2  Cor.  v    15.  Gal.  ii.  20.  Eph>  n   5,  6.  (b)  Because  by  faith 
we  receive  Christ,  and  all  his  benefits,  as  will  appf^ar  l.ercafter.  And 
thus  we  appropriate  the  Saviour  and  his  purchased  salvation  to  our» 
selves,  and  therefore  we  possess  him,  and  thus  also  salvation  in  himc 
II.  It  would  naturally  follow  now,  that  \'e  should  inquire  wb?t  is 
the  proper  nature  of  faith  ;  bat  as  this  is  out  of  order,  unless  wt-  un* 
derstand  what  is  the  object  of  faith,  we  will  therefore  inquire  firstj 
what  is  necessary  for  a  Christian  to  believco     The  instructor  saith, 
<*  All  things  promised  us  in  the  gospel,"  Question  22.    "  All  that 
God  hath  revealed  to  us  in  his  word,"  Question  31.  God  hath  re- 
vealed also  his  law  with  its  threatenings  in  his  word  ;  but  the  law  is 
not  so  much  the  object  of  faith,  as  of  obedience.     We  must  believe 
the  threatenings,  but  a  belief  of  the  threatenings  cannot  save  a  per- 
son, but  condemn  him  :  it  renders  the  sinner  concerned)  but  it  doth 
not  show  him  the  way  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  tome.     A  belief 
therefore  of  the  pramises  of  the  gospel  is  necessary  to  salvation  ;  for 
they  show  the  sinner  that  he  may  obtain  grice  and  salvation  in  the 
Son  of  God  ;  they  offer  the  Saviour  to  him  for  salvation,  yea,  they 
promise  the  believer  perfect  salvation  in  him,  as  we  have  taught  on 
the  nineteenth  qiiestion. 

"  All  the  things  prortiised  in  the  gospel  are  briefly  taught  us  in 
the  articles  of  our  catholic  undoubted  Christian  faith,"  For  all  the 
promises  of  the  gospel  must  be  referred  to  God  the  Father,  and  our 
creation,  to  God  the  Son  and  our  redemption,  and  to  God  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  oiir  sanctificationo  This  is  the  way  in  which  Paul  pro- 
ceeds, 2  Cor.  xiii.  13  Thus  also  the  Lord  Jesus  doth,  when  he  com- 
mands us  to  baptize  tnose  w'.o  confess  him,  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity, 
^d  sealto  them  in  this  mRDiiei  the  promises  of  the  gospel,  Matt,  xxviii. 

Z 


154  SAVING  FAITH. 

19.  For  which  reason  the  ancient  Christians  arlopreu  (l.ib  form  oj'  bap' 
tism  for  their  first  creed,  und  af'erwyrds  ihcv  composed  tht;irolh'*r  sum- 
inar>'  confessions  accord iiij;  to  the  tenor  of  this.  And  we  may  see 
in  wliat  manner  all  t'sc  promises  of  the  ^osDel  are  contained  in  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  in  the  exposition  of  Matt,  xxviii.  19,  by  out- 
church,  for  the  instruction  of  those  who  offer  their  children  for  bap- 
tism, which  is  also  read  to  them.*  The  iustructor  doth  therefore 
xindtrtake  to  explain  these  articles  according-  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity,  becanse  they  comprehend  all  the  promises  of  the  gospel, 
and  must  he  believed  to  salvation. 

It  doth  not  appear  at  all  probable  that  these  articles  Of  faith  were 
composed  by  the  apostles,  and  that  each  apostle  dictated  his  particu- 
lar article,  when  they  were  about  to  separate  from  one  another  at  Je- 
rusalem: for  Luke  mentions  nothin(>  of  this  in  the  acts  of  the  apos- 
tles. They  are  indeed  called  Syinbolum  j^/iostolorum,  the  aposlles* 
creed ;  but  not  because  they  were  composed  by  the  apostles,  but  ra- 
ther because  they  contain  a  brief  compend  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
apostles. 

We  must  thcefore  not  look  upon  thera  as  the  infallible  word  of 
God,  but  only  a  brief  compend  of  the  doctrine  of  faith,  believed  and 
professed  by  the  catholic  church,  gathered  from  the  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles, since  they  were  composed  according  to  the  word  of  God,  and 
particuialy  by  the  ancient  Christian  church,  while  she  was  not  yet 
infected  with  many  errours,  which  sprang  up  afterwards.  This 
creed,  or  confession  of  faith,  and  likewise  all  others,  composed  and 
explained  according  to  the  word  of  God,  serve  for  symbols  of  the 
a?;reemcnt  of  the  church  in  the  doctrine  of  the  truth  ;  they  are  also 
means  to  preserve  purity  of  doctrine,  and  to  detect  and  restrain  erro- 
neous persons,  who  may  arise  in  the  church.  But  it  is  not  sufficient 
to  constitute  a  person  a  believer,  and  qnolify  him  to  be  admitted  to 
mcmbers'iip  in  the  church,  shat  he  makes  a  verbal  confession  of 
th  J.  creed  ;  for  ti»ere  is  no  heretic,  however  erroneous,  who  will 
noc  confess  it  veriiaiiy,  ano  if  he  should  be  admitted  into  the  church 
upon  such  a  pretence,  would  he  not  excite  m^ch  confusion  and  dii- 
turbancc  in  the  church  ?  And  tn  ref^jrc  'his  creed  must  be  received 
an'l  confessed  accordnig  to  tn-  -xposiiion  of  the  word  of  Cjod,  for  it  is 
only  on  accuuni  ol  the  woid  of  God  that  it  is  worthy  to  be  believed 
a.nd  received. 

It  IS  not  only  the  promise  of  the  gospel,  that  is  the  object  of  faith, 
but  also  the  Loid  Jesus  ;.  hrist  himself  proposed  in  the  gospel  j  for 

•  The  author  means  the  reposition  of  the  passage  alledgcd  in  the  form  for 
the  adfliini&tration  of  bapusm  l»  infanti. 


Vli.  LOl^DS  DAY,  Q.  20— 23,  I5f 

"  we  believe  in  and  on  him,"  Acts  xvi.  31,  Eph.  iii.  12,  and  *'  re» 
ceive  him  by  faith,"  John  i.  12,  and  he  dwells  in  our  hearts  by 
faith,"  Eph.  iii.  17,  and  faith  rests  not  in  him,  but  passelh  through 
him  to  the  Father,  and  thus  '*  we  believe  by  him  in  God,"  1  Pe- 
ter i.  21. 

III.  We  may  now  easily  comprehend  "  what  true  faith  is."  Faith 
in  general  is  a  holding  of  the  word  or  testimony  of  a  person  to  be 
true  ;  and  when  he  salth  something,  in  which  we  are  interested,  a 
depending  on  h.is  words.  In  tiris  sense  is  faith  used  here  also  :  for 
by  faith  a  person  holds  the  testimony  of  God,  that  he  will  save  sin- 
ners, who  flee  to  Christ,  to  be  true,'  and  he  depends  upon  it.  The 
woid  faith  denotes  sometimes  indeed  the  doctrine  of  faith :  '*  Paul 
preached  the  faith  which  he  once  destroyed,"  Gal.  i.  23.  See  also 
Acts  VI.  7.  Jutle  vrs.  3,  but  it  commonly  signifies  a  working  act  of 
the  soul  with  respect  to  God,  and  Christ,  and  the  word  of  promise, 
and  in  this  sense  do  we  speak  of  faith  here. 

The  reason  wiiy  the  instructor  asks  just  concerning  "a  true,"  or 
a  saving  and  justiiying  faith,  called  also  "  an  unfeigned  faith,"  1  Tim. 
i.  5,  and  ''the  faith  of  God's  elect,"  I'itus  i.  I,  is  because  some  have 
only  a  pretended  faith,  and  all  faith  is  not  saving  ;  for  there  is  a  bare 
historical  faith,  by  wh-ch  a  person  acknowledgeth  the  divine  truths, 
with  a  certain  persuasion  of  mind,  to  be  true  and  divine,  without  be- 
ing influenced  thereby  to  an  earnest  endeavour  after  salvation,  ac- 
cording to  those  truths.  In  this  n  anner  "  Agrippa  believed  the 
prophets,"  Acts  xxvi  27.  This  is  called  a  historical  faith,  because 
it  is  a  holdi;ig  of  what  is  related  in  the  bible  to  be  true,  as  well  with 
respect  to  that  which  hath  happened,  as  to  that  which  is  promised 
concerning  present  and  future  matters.  If  any  one  will  rather  call 
this  historical  faith  a  speculative  faith,  or  a  faith  of  bare  assent,  we 
Tvill  not  object  to  it.  There  are  some,  who,  besides  this  historical 
faith,  possess  a  temporary  faith,  by  which  they  are  exceedingly  plea- 
sed with  the  divine  mysteries,  which  they  believe,  are  ravished  with 
them,  and  have  sometimes  an  unusual  relish  in  them  :  "  They  re- 
ceive the  word  anon  with  joy,"  Matt-  xiii.  20.  «  They  taste  the 
heavenly  gift,"  &c.  Heb.  vi.  4,  5.  "They  escape  for  a  while  the 
pollutions  of  the  world,"  2  Peter  ii.  20  Heb.  x.  29.  This  is  called 
a  temporary  faith,  mt  only  because  it  usually  endures  but  for  a 
time,  at  most  only  while  it  fares  well  with  the  church,  and  the  tem^ 
porary  believer  can  maintain  a  good  name  ;  but  also  because  it  is 
promoted  and  supported  by  the  temporary  things  of  honour,  plea- 
sure, and  profit.  And  therefore  we  must  not  think  with  the  Remon- 
strants, in  order  that  they  may  defend  their  doctrine  of  the  aposta<?y 


1^6  bAV^NG  KAITHc 

of  the  4aint3,  that  a  temporary  faith  is  of  the  same  nature  with  a. 
savinj^  iaita.  as  though  there  were  no  other  difference  between  a 
tenjporary  ami  a  saving  faith,  than  that  the  one  ceaseth  after  a  time^ 
but  the  other  encJurct  i  lo  the  end  :  for  a  temporary  faith  is  essen- 
tially diHcre^it  from  a  saving  faiih,  in  as  much  as  it  remains  "with- 
out loo:  in  a  stony  hcuii,  and  doth  not  bring  forth  good  fruits ;"  but 
it  is  altogether  different  with  a  saving  faith.  See  Mai.  xiii.  23.  Luke 
viii.  t5.  he  true  believer  '<  hath  better  things,  and  such  as  accom- 
pany suhation,"  lleb.  \\.9.  Some  have  besides  this  also  a  faith  of 
nii.in  les,  iiv  which  they  trust,  in  consequence  of  some  speci  .1  pro 
miseofGod,  or  some  extraordinary  impulse  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  t.ome  miracle  will  be  performed,  either  by  theri),  or  upon  them. 
See  -Ua:.  xviii.  20.  A' ark  ix.  22,  23,  24.  A  person  may  have 
such  a  fait;  .  a.d  not  possess  a  saving  faith,  as  v/e  may  see  Mat  vii» 
23.     1  Cor.  xiii  2. 

This  saving  laith  consists   in  three  acts  of  the  soul,  which  it 

exerts. 

I.  "*  In  a  knowledge  of  what  God  hath  revealed  to  us  in  his  wordo 
It  is  scarcely  possible  that  every  believer  should  know  all  things  ; 
the  best  *^  knows  but  in  part,"  I  Cor.  xiii  9.  But  if  a  person  shall 
believe,  it  is  necessary  that  he  should  know  the  fundamental  tmthso 
These  are  those  (a)  which  the  Holy  Ghost  himself  calls  the  founda- 
tiof)  ;^b)  with  the  knowledge  and  belief  of  which  salvation  is  insepa- 
rahly  connected  ;(e)  which  are  the  foundation  and  support  of  other 
revealed  dociiines,  and  (d)  which  teach  the  true  practice  of  piety. 
We  si.all  not  explain  these  marks  of  the  fundamental  truths  at  pres- 
ent, for  we  have  done  this  in  our  "mystery  of  God's  covenants," 
page  5,  6,  7.  \Ve  say  now  only,  that  in  order  to  believe  to  salvation, 
-./c  must  know  how  great  our  sins  and  misery  are,  how  we  may  be 
delivered  from  our  misery,  and  how  we  shall  express  our  gratitude 
to  God  for  such  deliverance. 

Every  behever  knows  and  understands  these  things  more  or  less, 
not  only  wuh  a  literal  knowledge,  but  irradiated  with  the  light  of 
God  ;  he  sees  into  the  things  themselves,  he  beholds  God  and  Christ 
and  not  only  his  word,  although  by  the  word,  by  which  his  mind  is 
drawn  forth  toward  the  Lord,  is  united  to  him,  changed  into  conform- 
ity to  him,  and  Wi»rmcd  with  love  to  him  :  "  For  God,  who  com- 
manded the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  shines  in  his  heart,  to 
give  the  light  of  the  knowle'Jge  of  the  glory  of  God,  in  the  face  of 
lesus  C:hrist,"  2  Cor.  iv.  6.  See  also  Psalm  xxxvi.  9.  2  Cor.  iii.  Ig. 
(Icb.  xi.  27 


Vir.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  20— 23o  15^ 

We  will  not  determine  precisely  whether  this  knowledge  be  a 
proper  act  of  I'aith.  It  is  certain,  that  the  soul,  when  she  exerciseth 
faith,  exerts  a  certain  activity  in  knowing  and  contemplating  her 
objects,  as  well  as  in  any  other  act  of  faith.  It  is  also  abundantly  evi- 
dent, that  no  man  can  believe  while  he  doth  not  know  the  object  of 
his  faith.  We  must  therefore  detest  popery,  which  asserts  that  au 
implicit  faith  is  sufficient,  to  wit,  when  a  person  only  believes  as  the 
church  beheves,  without  knowing  what  the  church  believes,  or  whe- 
ther her  faith  be  good  ;  yea,  the  prpists  conceive  that  faith  can  be 
described  better  by  ignorance,  than  knowledge,  and  that  ignorance  is 
the  mother  of  devotion.  Arrant  folly  1  but  in  this  manner  do  they 
retain  souls  in  blindness  and  in  bondage.  How  can  we  beheve  a 
person,  when  v/e  do  not  understand  whcft  he  saith  ?  "  I'aith  corneth 
by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  word  of  God,"  Rom,  x.  1 7.  Must 
we  not  then  understand  what  we  hear  ?  Justifying  and  saving  faith 
is  called  knowledge,  Isaiah  liii.  11.  John  x'-di  3.  "The  soul  with- 
out knowledge  is  not  good,"  Prov.  xix.  2.  Ignorance  is  the  cause 
of  evtry  evil  action.  Because  "  the  princes  of  this  world  knew  not 
the  wisdom  of  God,  therefore  they  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory,'* 

1  Cor.  ii.  7,  8.     "  Ignorance  alienates  the  sinner  from  the  lif-r  of 
God,"  Eph.  iv.  18.    "  God  will  punish  ignorance  with  flaming  fire," 

2  Thes.  i.  8,  and  "  he  will  not  have  mercy  on  a  people  of  ro  under- 
standing, nor  show  them  any  favour,"  Isaiah  xxvii.  1 1. 

2.  The  second  act  of  faith  i-  assent,  or  '*  a  certain  knowledge 
whereby  a  person  holds  for  truth  all  that  God  reveals  to  him  in  his 
word."  This  assent  we  may  also  call  a  historical  faith,  (although  it 
is  wholly  different  from  the  historical  faith  of  the  unconverted,  as 
we  will  see  more  particularly  in  the  sequel).  By  which  a  person 
receives  upon  certain  evidences,  and  upon  the  testimony  of  God,  as  a 
real,  divine,  and  acceptable  truth,  that  which  is  revealed  to  him  in 
the  word  of  God.  *'  This  is  called  "  receiving  the  testimony  of 
God,  and  setting  to  our  seal  that  God  is  tme,"  John  iii.  33.  "  a  full 
assurance  of  understanding,"  Coll.  ii.  2,  '*  an  acknowledging  of  the 
truth,"  2  Tim.  ii.  35.  W  hereby  the  soul  entertains  such  an  assu- 
rance of  the  invisible  thini^s,  discovered  in  the  word  of  God,  as  if 
3he  saw  them  with  her  eyes,  and  heard  with  her  ears  God  speak  of 
them  to  her  with  his  own  mouth  ;  in  consequence  of  which  she  can 
depend  upon  the  promises  of  God  as  upon  firm  and  immovable  foun- 
dations, and  expect  happiness  of  every  kind  from  him  :  for  "  this 
faith  is  a  sure  foundation  of  things  hoped  for,  and  an  evidence  of 
things  not  seen.  By  this  faith  Moses  had  respect  unto  the  recom- 
pence  of  the  reward,  and  endnrf  dap  seeing  him  who  is  invisible," 


1^8  SAVING  FAITH. 

Heb.  xi.  \y  26,  27,     And  therefore  this  faith  is  ©pposed  to  *'  doubting 
concerning  the  promises  of  God,"    Rom.  iv.  18,  21. 

The  reason  why  our  mind  receives  as  true  and  divine  all  that  God 
hath  revealed  to  us  in  his  word,  is  not  because  the  church,  or  our  o\vt. 
human  reason  teaches  and  commands  it  ;  for  then  our  belief  of  the 
divine  truth  would  not  depend  upon  a; divine  authority,  but  upon 
men,  and  upon  our  own  imagination.     It  is  indeed  true,  that  the 
church  showeth  us  the  truth  and  divinity  of  the  scriptures,  and  that 
reason  is  the  mean  by  which  we  apprehend  it :   but  nothing  that  is 
human  can  persuade  and  oblige  us  to  believe  the  truth  and  divinity 
of  the  scriptures  :  but  the   believer  holds   all  this  to  be  true  and  di- 
vine, on  account  of  the  evidences  of  the  truth  and  divinity  which  ap- 
pear in  the  word  itself,  and  offer  themselves  to  the    attentive  inqui- 
rer.    Therefore  we  are  directed,  in  order  that  we  may  believe,  not 
to  the  church,  or  to  our  own  reason,  but  only  to  the  word  of  Cod. 
See  Isaiah  xxxiv  16.  John  v.    39.  Acts  xvii    1 1.     The  evidences  of 
the  truth  of  scripture  are  particularly  the  credibility  of  the  prophets 
and  apostles,  who  testified,  without  regard  to  their  private  interest, 
"  that  which  they  had  saen  with  their  eyes,  and  handled    with  their 
hands,"  1  John  i.  1,2,  3,  and  they  confirmed  their  testimony  by  eve- 
ry mean,  yea,  by  suffering  the  most  painful  death.     The  evidences 
of  the  divinity  of  the  holy  scriptures  are  the   prophecies  of  future 
events,  w^hich  have  been  fulfilled  in  their  proper  time  ;   and  also  the 
miracles,  by  which  God  confirmed  his  doctrine.     To  all  this  we  must 
add  a  po\yerful  conviction  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  which  he  illustrates 
those  evidences,  so  that  we  can  understand  them,  and  by  which  he 
conveys  and  wjorks  the  grace  and  truth  which  the  scripture  propo- 
seth,  in  our  hearts,  and  produces  thus  a  perfect  assurance.     See  hew 
Paul  teaches  this,  I  Thess.  i.  5,   "  Our  gospel  came  not  to   you  in 
word  only,  but  also  in  power,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  ip  much 
assurance,"  1  Thess.  ii.  13.  "Ye  received  the  word  of  God  which 
ye  heard  of  us,  not  as  the  word  of  men,  but  (as  it  is  in  truth)  the 
word  of  God,  which  effectually  worIj.eth    also  in  you  that  believe." 
And  so  *'  the  Spirit   beareth   witness   that  the  Spirit  is  the  truth." 
1  John  V.  6.     It  is  indeed  true,  that  the  mind  suffers  grievous  as- 
saults, when  itexerciseth  this  faith,  that  the  flesh   and  the  devil  at- 
tack one  sometimes  with  horrible,  yea,  blasphemous  injections,   by 
which  the  faith  of  the   soul  is   exceedingly   shaken ;    but  we  must 
know  that  a  historical  faith  hath    also   its  imperfections,   yea,  that 
these  shakings  tend,  by  the  wise  and  powerful  ordination  of  God,  to 
inroot  this  faith  more  firmly  and  deeply  in  the  soul ;   since  the  soul, 
shaken  in  this  manner,  endeavours  so  much  tlie  more  to  surmount 


VII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  20— 2S.  15^ 

these  doubtings,  to  look  about  for  solid  grounds,  and  to  settle  herself 
upon  them. 

3.  The  mind  assured  in  this  manner  of  the  divine  revelation,  exer- 
cises also  confidence  in  acting  faith.  The  instructor,  in  order  to 
teach  the  assurance  of  believers  concerning-  their  salvation,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  Papists,  describes  their  confidence  in  its  highest  degree, 
and  in  its  most  improved  condition,  (as  we  are  used  to  do,  when  we 
describe  things  in  their  greatest  perfection)  saying  "  An  assured  con- 
fidence, that  not  only  to  others,  but  also  to  me,  remission  of  sin, 
everlasting  righteousness  and  salvation,  are  freely  given  by  God,"  &c. 
Now  since  such  a  confidence  doth  not  consist  in  an  imagination,  by 
which,  with  the  Remonstrants,  we  hold  it  for  a  certain  truth,  that 
Christ  hath  died  for  me  and  all  men,  because  we  should  then  work 
by  our  faith  only  with  ourselves,  and  not  with  Christ,  and  through 
him  with  God,  contrary  to  what  we  have  taught  and  proved  before  ; 
therefore  it  follows  that  something  else  must  precede  this  confidence, 
by  which  we  obtain  such  a  happy  interest  in  Christ,  and  from  which 
we  may  conclude  upon  sufficient  foundations,  that  remission  of  sins, 
&c.  is  freely  given,  not  only  to  others,  but  also  to  us.  That  which 
then  constitutes  the  proper  act  of  a  confiding  faith,  is  that  confiden- 
tial assent  to  the  proffer  of  the  crucified  Mediator,  by  which  the  be- 
lieving soul  doth  with  the  highest  satisfaction  approve  of  God's  me- 
thod of  saving  the  sinner  through  the  sufferings  of  his  Son,  chooses 
the  Saviour  for  herself,  owns  him,  and  rests  wholly  upon  him  for 
salvation 

In  order  to  explain  this  somewhat  more  fully,  we  will  eye  the  soul, 
in  her  acts  of  faith.  The  soul  being  so  concerned,  perplexed,  and 
anxious,  as  we  have  seen,  in  explaining  the  twelfth  question,  hears 
indeed  of  an  allsufficicnt  Saviour;  but  it  doth  not  relieve  her,  be- 
cause she  is  too  much  distressed,  and  fears  that  he  is  not  for  her* 
Is  she  informed  that  he  offers  himself  to  her,  and  that  he  calls  and 
invites  her  to  him,  she  dares  not  however  believe  it,  on  account  of 
her  unworthiness.  But  the  Lord  penetrating  effectually  into  the 
soul,  persuades  her  by  a  historical  faith,  and  by  working  an  assent 
in  her  through  his  word  and  Spirit,  and  he  assures  her  that  he  in- 
tends her  also  in  his  call  and  invitation.  She  believes  this,  and  is 
thus  persuaded  in  a  powerful  manner,  to  comply  with  this  method 
of  salvation,  and  is  willing  that  the  Lord  God,  sin*  c  he  manifests 
himself  so  favourable  to  her,  should  fulfil  in  her  all  the  good  pleasure 
of  his  goodness,  she  surrenders  herself  Tto  him  for  this  purpose, 
and  saith  with  Marv,   **  Behold  the   handmaid  of  the   Lord,  be  it 


160  iAVING  FAITH. 

unto  me  according;  to  thy  word/'   Luke  i-  38,     And  she  thus  *^  su}^ 
inits  herself  to  the  n:.hteousncss  of  God"  in  Chribt,  Rom.  x.  3.   She 
conducts  in  this  transaction,  as  a  maid,  "who  being  kindly  addressed 
by  a  young  man,  and  persutidec  by  him,  cheerf.lly  consent?  to  hii 
proposal,  owns  and  accepts  of  him  as  her  husband,  and  enters  into 
an   entitlement   to  be   his    wife  daring  her  life-      Jesus  allures 
the  soul,  and    speaks  kindly  to   her,  the   soul,   believing   by   her 
act  of  consent,  that  he  means  what  he  saith  to  her,  yields  herself 
up  to  him  by  her  faith  of  confidence,  owns  and   chooses  him    for 
her  bridegroom  and  husband,  and  surrenders  herself  tot^im  to  be 
his  bride  and  spouse  for  ever,  and   **  she  is  thus  betrothed  to  him 
in  faith,"   Hosea  ii.  13,  20.     By  faith  "  she  says  and  subscribes,  I 
am  the  Lord's,"  Isaiah  xlv.  5.     Yea,  her  faith  is  as  it  were  a  giving 
of  her  hand  to  the  Lord,  an  espousing  of  herself  to  the  Lord,  as   it 
were,  by  a  solemn  taking  of  his  hand,  and  by  an  oath,  2  Chron.  xxx. 
8,  by  which  "  the  Lord  brings  her  into  the  bond  of  covenant,'*  Ezek. 
XX.  37. 

We  cannot  contemplate  the  power  of  this  act  of  faith,  unless  v/e 
attend  to  several  things,  which  are  contained  in  it,  and  to  the  em- 
phasis of  the  expressionrin  the  word  of  God  that  relate  to  it.  And 
therefore  we  v/lU  busy  ourselves  a  little  with  eyeing  the  soul  in  the 
active  exercise-  of  her  faith  and  confidenise,  and  exhibit  in  the  mean 
time  the  eniphasis  of  the  phrases  used  in  the  word  of  God,  both  in 
Hebrew  and  Greek. 

1.  Previous  to  this  act  of  faith,  there  is  a  general  confidence  and 
issurance  of  this  evangelical  truth,  that  he  who  believes  in  Christ 
shall  surely  be  saved  ;  yea,  the  soul  confides  in  this  for  herself,  that 
if  she  believe  she  shall  certainly  be  saved;  by  which  s' e  is  also 
encouraged  to  come  to  Christ.  See  this  in  Bartimeus,  Mark  x.  49, 
50,  5  L  Many  believe  this  indeed  as  a  p:eneral  truth,  but  they  do 
not  regard  it  to  their  salvation  ;  but  the  believer  is  affected  with  it 
in  such  a  manner,  that  he  ^eeks  .>nd  finds  the  favour  of  his  Savioui 
for  himself.  The  sinner  hath  s©mfe^-mes  such  a  sight  and  sense  cf 
his  misery,  that  he  fcarS  there  will  be  no  mercy  for  him,  and  the 
reprobate  sinks  under  it  into  despair,  and  doth  not  attend  to  the  prof- 
fered grace  :  "  He  makes  God  a  liar,  because  he  believes  not  the 
record  which  God  hath  given  of  his  Son,"  1  John  v.  10.  But  the  elect, 
who  have  the  spirit  of  faith,  struggle  against  these  discouragements^ 
and  surmount  them,  and  they  attend  to  this  truth,  until  they  obtain 
i&n  assured  interest  in  Christ. 

2.   To  this  is  added  a  strong,  active,  and  restless  desire  for  the 
Mediator  and  his  salvation,  in  order  that  we  may  partake  of  him  and 


VII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  20—23.  161 

his  benefits.  Therefore  the  Lord  Jesus  saith,  "  If  any  man  thirst, 
kt  him  come  unto  me  and  drink  ;  he  that  believeth  on  me,  as  the 
scripture  hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  livinj;  wa- 
ter," John  vii  37,  38.  The  soul  sees  indeed  a  sufficiency  in  Jesus, 
and  that  he  is  able  to  remove  all  her  sinful  misery,  and  hem.e  she 
vehemently  thirsts  for  him,  sighs  and  cries  to  him,  that  he  n.ay  be 
gracious  to  her,  and  receive  her.  See  this  Psalm  xlii.  1,  2,  Matt. 
»xv.  21,  29. 

3.  Add  to  this,  that  there  is  in  this  exercise  an  actual  turning  of 
ourselves  to  him.  "This  is  called  "  a  coming  to  him,"  Isaiah  xlv. 
24.  By  which  (a)  a  person,  like  one  who  is  without  strength,  and 
unable  to  break  through  to  him,  and  draw  near  to  him,  only  looks  to 
him  from  afar,  and  shows  himself  to  him,  that  he  may  have  mercy 
on  such  a  miserable  wretch,  who  cries  to  him  out  of  the  depths," 
Psalm  cxxx.  1.  Or  (b)  as  one,  who  is  wholly  wretched,  he  casts 
himself  into  his  hands,  that  he  may  execute  his  office  of  Saviour  upon 
the  soul  ;  and  he  thus  suffers  himself  to  be  saved,  as  the  Saviour  ad- 
monisheth,  Isaiah  xlv.  22.  "  Look  unto  me,  and  be  saved,"  which 
implies,  suffer  yourselves  to  be  saved  and  reconciled.  See  also  2 
Cor.  V.  20.  Or  (c)  as  one  who  is  pursued  and  urged  by  fear,  he 
flees  to  him,  that  he  may  sl)elter  himself  with  him,  and  be  hid- 
den from  destruction  :  '*  The  name  of  the  Lord  is  a  strong  tower, 
the  righteous  rur.neth  into  it,  and  is  safe."  Prov.  xviii.  10.  The  He- 
brews to  denote  this,  make  use  of  the  word  chazahy  which  is  rendered 
sometimes  "  taking  refuge,"  and  at  other  times  *•  trusting."  We 
meet  with  both  expressions,  Psalm  Ivii.  1,  for  we  find  here  a  secure 
shelter  and  a  quiet  confidence.  Or  (d)  a  person,  after  proper  delib- 
eration, actually  enters  in  and  through  him  into  the  covenant,  in  or- 
der to  become  his  property,  that  he  may  rest  only  in  him,  and  live 
to  him,  Jsaitdi  Iv.  3.  Thus  ''he  saith  and  subscribes  with  his  hand, 
I  am  the  Lord's,'-  Isaiah  xliv.  5.  And  "  he  enters  into  the  cove- 
nant," Deut.  xxix.  12.  2  Chron.  xv.  12. 

4.  There  is  also  in  this  exercise  of  faith,  a  receiving  of  the  promi- 
ses, which  a  person  apprehends,  appropriates  to  himself,  depends 
upon,  and  improves,  in  order  to  exhibit  his  claims  to  the  Lord,  like 
David,  Psalm  cxix.  49.  *'  Remember  the  word  unto  thy  servant, 
upon  which  thou  hast  caused  me  to  hope,"  and  also  a  receiving  of 
the  Mediator  hinjself,  of  whom  he  "  takes  hold,  as  the  strength  of 
God,"  Isaiah  xxvii-  5,  "receives,"  John  i.  12,  and  owns  for  his, 
Song  ii.  16.  A  person  unites  himself  to  him,  and  admits  him  to 
«  dwell  in  his  heart  by  fyith,"  Eph.  iii.  17. 

5.  Finally,  there  is  4iso  a  committing  of  ourselves  to  the  Lordi  and 


W2  SAVING  FAITH 

a  relying'  upon  liim  m  every  condition.  Tt/15  U  'jignified  by  the 
Greek  nord  /izateuo,  ^'  I  believe,"  which  is  often  translated  a  com- 
mittin:>^  of  aughr  to  a  person.  See  Romtiii.  2.  1  Cor.  ix  17.  Thus 
also  the  Hebrew  word  batach  signifieth  a  risting  and  setthng  of  our- 
selves on  the  Lord,  as  a  steadfast  foundation  stone,  in  seasons  of  dan- 
ger, and  when  we  might  easily  be  shaken  and  despond.  It  is  said 
of  the  righteous,  Psalm  cxii.  7,  "  He  shall  not  be  afraid  of  evil  ti- 
dings ;  his  heart  is  iixed,  trusting  in  the  Lord,"  and  Isaiah  xxvi.  4. 
»*  Trust  ye  in  the  Lord  for  ever  ;  for  in  the  Lord  Jehovah  there  is 
everlasting  strength."  The  soul  wlio  confides,  remains  quiet,  and 
rests  in  the  Lord  under  trouble,  Isaiah  ^xx.  15.  Of  no  less  empha- 
sis is  the  word  keemin^  which  signifies  a  sufferinj^  of  one's  self  to  be 
carried  and  fed  like  a  child,  that  rests  upon  the  arms,  arid  in  the  bosom 
of  a  nurse,  and  trusts  and  commits  itself  to  her  without  concern. 
This  word  is  translated  '*  trusting,"  Job.  xv.  31,  but  most  commrnly 
'^  believing,"  See  Gen.  xv.  6,  and  it  is  opposed  to  an  anxious  and 
concerned  hasiening,  Isaiah  xxviii.  16,  "He  that  believeth  shall  rot 
make  haste."  The  beUever  will  be  more  or  less  employed  in  one 
or  another  act  of  fnilh,  accordimr  as  he  is  disposed  in  this  or 
tha:  manner,  is  more  or  less  advanced  or  influenced  by  the  Spirit 
of  faith. 

From  this  exercise  of  fai  h  and  confidence  follows  also  assurariccj 
and  "  an  assured  confidence,  that  not  only  to  others,  but  also  to  my- 
self,  remission  of  sins,  everlasting  righteousness  and  salvation  are 
freely  given  by  God  merely  of  grace,  for  the  sake  of  Christ's  mer- 
itsi"  Every  believer  is  not  always  assured,  neither  is  faith  assu* 
ranee  itself;  but  assurance  floweth  in  a  greater  or  less  proportion 
from  the  exercise  of  faith.  For,  (a)  not  only  have  eminent  believers 
possessed  assurance,  but  also  ordinary  believers,  as  is  testified,  Job. 
xix.  25,  26,  27,  I  Cor.  i.  30.  2  Cor.  v.  1.  "We  know  that  if  our 
earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building 
of  God,"  Sec.  The  exercise  of  faith  is  also  a  rational  act  of  the  soul, 
which  is  conscious  of  her  operations,  knowing  what  she  doth,  and 
being  able  to  say,  ''  I  know  in  whom  I  have  believed,"  1  Tim.  i. 
12.(c)  It  is  indeed  true,  that  imexperienced  believers  dare  not  en- 
tertain assurance  through  their  prejudice  against  God's  work  of 
grace,  and  their  matfention,  as  they  do  not  give  sufficient  heed  to  the 
work  of  the  Lord  in  the  soul,  or  because  they  are  young,  and  do 
not  yet  know  the  voice  of  the  Lord  The  Holy  Spirit  will  neverthe- 
less sometimes,  and  at  least  finally,  afford  them  a  steadfast  assurance 
by  enabling  them  to  form  a  believing  syllogism  \  for  he  assures 
them  from  the  word,  that  "  he  who  believeth  on  Jesus  shall  be  sa- 


VIL  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  20--2S.  Ut 

ved  ;"  for  "•  the  Spirit  beareth  witness  that  the  Spirit  is  the  truth/ 
1  John  V  6.  He  enables  them  also  to  perceive  in  their  heaits  that 
they  do  truly  believe  ;  for  "  they  receive  the  Spirit  which  is  of 
God,  that  they  may  i^now  the  things  that  are  freely  given  them  of 
God."  He  causeth  them  to  infer  therefrom  that  they  shall  also  be 
paved  :  for  *'  the  Spirit  itself  beareth  vdtness  witii  our  spirit,  that  we 
are  the  children  of  God,"  Rom.  viii.  16, 

The  Papists  imagine  that  such  an  assurance  is  only  a  presump= 
;uous  conceit,  because  we  cannot  find  any  where  such  a  special  prom- 
ise to  this  or  that  person,  as  Peter  and  Paul  had,  that  he  shall  be  sa- 
red  ;  but  the  proniises  are  made  to  them  who  believe  ;  when  there- 
fore any  person,  upon  looking  into  himself,  is  conscious  that  he  be- 
lieves, he  should  undoubtedly  assure  himself  tliat  he  shall  also  be 
saved,  and  that  v/ith  as  much  certainty^  as  if  he  were  addressed  by 
name  in  the  word  of  God. 

We  must  distinguish  the  exercise  of  a  believer's  faith,  according; 
to  the  degree  of  his  assurance.  And  so  we  contemplate  it  as  an  ex- 
ercise  of  faitii  *•  unto  '  justification,  and  to  the  obtaining  cf  salvation, 
and  "from"  justification  and  salvation  already  obtained.  *'  The  ex^ 
ercise  of  faith  to  justification,"  is  that  which  an  unexperienced  and 
weak  believer,  who  hath  not  yet  a  perfect  and  steadfast  assurance,  ex- 
erts, in  order  that  he  m.ay  be  justified  and  saved,  Gal.  ii.  16. 
"  Knowing  that  a  man  is  not  justified  by  the  works  of  the  law,  but 
by  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ,  even  we  have  believed  in  Jesus  Christ  ; 
that  we  might  be  justified."  Doth  the  believer  once  attain  to  assu- 
rance, he  is  however  frequently  unsettled  by  his  improper  behaviour, 
his  darkness,  and  his  poring  on  his  misery,  and  he  thinks  that  his 
former  assurance  was  only  a  conceit :  and  tlierefore  he  will  continu- 
ally endeavour  to  exercise  faith  auew,  he  hungers  and  thirsts,  he 
runs  and  flies  to  Jesus,  he  surrenders  himself  to  him,  and  accepts  of 
him  until  his  soul  is  reduced  to  her  sweet  rest  again  ;  and  he  doth 
this  so  often,  and  so  long  a  time,  that  he  attains  unto  a  settled  assu- 
rance. "  The  exercise  of  faith  from  justification,"  is  that  which  is 
exerted  by  a  person,  who  is  further  advanced,  and  who  possesses  a 
steadfast  assurance,  that  he  is  truly  justified  and  saved  by  God,  and 
hath  an  interest  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  in  all  his  saving  benefits: 
whereby  he  exerciseth  faith  in  him,  as  one  who  is  entitled  to  all  his 
salvation,  and  who  hath  therefore  "  in  him  boldness  and  access,  with 
confidence  by  the  faith  of  him,"  Eph.  iii.  12.  This  exercise  of 
faith  is  otherwise  called  "  a  living  and  walking  by  faith,"  in  opposi- 
tion to  <^  sight,"  Hab.  ii.  4.  2  Cor.  v.  7.  And  it  is  performed, 
1.  By  a  repeated  re-establishing  of  the  interrupted  reconciliati«B 


164  SAVING  FAITH. 

'  and  peace  of  mind  by  laying  hold  on  the  Mediator,  and  pleading  him 
and  his  whole  salvation  before  the  Father,  witn  ^^  the  answer  of  a 
good  conscience  toward  God,  through  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Ciirist 
from  thi;  dead,"  1  Peter  iii    21, 

2.  by  mixing  fai'h  with  the  word,  and  making  use  of  it  in  all 
cases,  ai  o\>v  food,  feeding  at  it  were  upon  it,  Jer,  xv.  16.  Heb.  iv    2. 

3.  I?y  a  iVequenr  exercise  of  either  a  stronger  or  we.-ker  act  of 
faitti  on  Christ,  as  the  breathing  of  the  soul,  and  tlms  ''  from  faith  to 
fa:th,"  Horn.  i.  17. 

4.  By-  continually  uniting  ourselves  to  him,  sucking  from  his  ful- 
ness taroii^h  the  conduits  of  the  promises  against  every  calamity. 
GaJ.  ii.  20   John  i.  16 

5.  by  rejoxinvj  through  f  lith  in  our  happy  interest  in  God,  1  Peter 
1.  8,  li":  the  Ethiopian,  Acts  viii.  :>9.  and  the  gaoler,  Acts  xv.  34. 

6.  y  ordering  oui'  w'qIh  conversation,  what  we  do,  and  what  we 
forocr,  in  faith,  from  a  persuasion  of  ti.e  will  of  God,  and  with  a 
dependence  on  ins  ''  help,  which  he  hath  laid  upon  one  who  is 
mighty,"  Rom.  iv.  23.  Eph.  vi    10. 

7.  By  r  lying  through  faiti  on  his  promises,  and  expecting  all  the 
promised  salvation  with  patience  and  moderation,  though  it  appear 
ever  so  dark,  Psalm  xxvii.  13,  14.  Rom.  iv.  18    Heb.  x.  36,    37    38. 

8.  By  conducting  ourselves  courageously  through  faith  in  the 
greatest  dangers,  and  submitting  willingly  to  every  suffering  for  the 
Lord's  sake,  1  Sam   xxx.  6    Psalm  xxiii.  4.  Heb-  xi.  24 — 27. 

When  we  consider  all  these  particulars,  we  cannot  doubt  that  faith 
is  an  act,  not  only  of  the  underst-mding  and  judgment,  but  also  of 
the  will.  For  it  is  active,  not  only  with  respect  lo  its  object,  as  a 
trutli,  as  the  word  is,  but  also  as  a  benefit,  to  wit,  Christ  and  all  his 
benefits  ;  faitlj  is  not  only  an  immanent  act  of  the  soul,  but  a  tran- 
sient act,  which  goeth  out  toward  Christ  and  his  Father,  and  so  far 
faiih  is  an  act  of  the  will ;  and  truly  faith  is  like  the  y^aword  of  a 
maid,  who  hath  been  persuaded  and  consents  willingly  to  her  mar- 
riage. 

APPLICATION. 

How  happy  are  they  who  possess  this  faith  !  they  are  pronounced 
blessed,  Psalm  ii.  12.  "Blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust  in 
him  "  It  is  ''  a  precious  faith,"  2  Peter  i.  !•  We  are  delivered  by  it 
from  condemnation,  John  v.  24.  Rom  viii.  1.  We  obtain  a  happy 
interest  in  the  Son  of  God  and  all  his  benefits,  we  become  children 
of  God,  are  justifted,  sanctified,  saved.,  how  abominable  soever  we 


VII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  20— 2.Sv  165 

«re  in  ourselves,  John  i.  12.  Rom  iv.  5,  8.  Acts  xv.  9.  John  iii.  16, 
36.  ii  renders  all  our  actions  good  and  acceptable  to  God,  tl.ough 
they  are  abominable  and  loatlisome  "  without  faith,"  Rom.  xiv.  23* 
Heb-  xi.  6.  There  is  a  wonderful  power  in  faith  to  effect  great  things- 
See  this  Heb.  xi.  "It  can  do  all  things,"  Philip  iv.  13.  Mark  ix. 
13  It  causeth  Christ  to  "dwell  in  the  heart,"  Eph  iii.  17  It  ap- 
propriates every  promise,  it  claims  for  its  own  whatsoever  it  lays 
hold  on,  and  it  obtains  an  answer  to  our  pi  ayers ;  "  What  things 
soever  ye  desire,  when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye 
shall  have  them,"  Mark  xi.  24.  "  It  overcometh  the  world,"  John  v» 
4.  "  Every  man,"  said  Cyprian,  "  obtains,  according  to  the  promises 
of  the  Lord,  as  much  help  of  God,  as  he  believes  that  he  will 
obtain.'* 

Since  then  salvation,  and  all  kinds  of  happiness  are  annexed  to 
faith,  ought  not  every  one  to  consider  his  ways,  and  with  the  i^reat- 
est  attention  examine  himself,  and  inquire  *•  whether  he  be  in  the 
faith,  and  whether  Jesus  Christ  be  in  liim,"  2  Cor.  xiii.  5.  Therefore 
impress  it  upon  your  miuds,  that  every  baptized  professor  of  the 
truth  doth  not  possess  faith  ;  for  "  all  men  have  not  faith,"  2  Tl-ess* 
iii.  2,  "but  only  the  elect  of  God,"  Titus  i.  1.  Therefore  "examine 
youi'selves  strictly,  ye  listless  people ;  before  the  decree  bring  forth, 
before  the  day  pass  as  the  chaff,  before  the  fierce  anger  of  the  Lord 
come  upon  you,  before  the  day  of  the  Lord's  anger  come  upon  you," 
Zeph.  ii.  1,  2. 

Do  ye  ask,  How  shall  we  know  whether  we  have  this  faith  or  not? 
it  is  evident  that  those  have  not  faith,  (a)  who  are  ignorant ;  for 
faith  implies  knowledge,  (b)  Who  remain  in  themselves,  and  arc 
never  concerned  how  they  shall  be  saved,  and  in  this  respect  arc 
neither  "  cold  nor  hot,  but  lukewarm,"  Rev.  iii  15.  (c)  Who  are 
ungodly,  and  filled  with  all  unrighteousness,  "  The  abominable  and 
disobedient  are  unbdievers,"  Titus  i.  15.  16.  (d)  Who  are  indeed 
not  s*  abominable,  and  would  fain  enter  into  heaven,  but  do  not  do 
the  least  thing  for  that  purpose,  as  if  they  were  to  be  saved  by  Christ 
as  they  perished  in  Adam,  and  therefore  they  venture  upon  a  gene- 
ral grace  of  God,  and  death  of  Christ.  Doth  any  one  convince  thenx 
that  they  will  be  lost,  if  they  act  thus,  they  comfort  themselves,  be- 
cause they  are  not  so  ungodly  as  this  and  that  person,  but  are  civil 
and  rehgious,  hke  the  Pharisee,  Luke  xviii.  11,  12.  "  But  without 
faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God,"  Heb  xi.  (e)  Those  who  have 
an  erroneous  notion  of  faith  One  thinks  because  he  is  not  a  Jew, 
heathen,  or  Mahometan,  that  he  is  therefore  a  believer  ;  another, 
because  he  doubts  not  concerning;  the  word  of  God,  but  believes  it 


l^b  ,-  SAVING  F AITK. 

^rmly,  imagines  that  he  hath  a  saving  faith  ;  a  third  fondly  conceits 
and  forces  himself  to  believe  that  he  will  be  saved,  and  this  will  then 
be  his  faith ;  but  "  he  feedeth  upon  ashes  ;  a  deceived  heart  hath 
turned  him  aside,  so  that  he  cannot  deliver  his  soul,  nor  say,  is  there 
not  a  lie  in  my  ripjat  hand  ?"  Isaiah  xliv.  20. 

These  things  are  so  plain  and  palpable,  that  they  who  are  such 
persons,  as  we  have  described,  may  find  without  labour  that  they 
have  not  this  faith.  But  it  is  more  difficult  to  convince  a  temporary 
^liever  of  this,  since  he  may  have  very  many  good  things,  which 
greatly  resemble  the  woik  of  sincere  believers :  for  he  may  be  ex- 
ceedingly sorry  for  his  sins  with  Cain,  Esau,  Saul,  Ahab  apd  Judas ; 
he  may  "  gladly  hear  "  a  zealous  preacher,  and  be  moved  to  "  do 
many  things"  with  Herod,  Mark  vi.  20.  He  may  have  a  great  knowl- 
edge and  belief  of  the  truth,  yea,  receive  Jesus  after  his  manner : 
^' He  may  be  enlightened,  taste  the  heavenly  gift,  be  made  a  par- 
taker of  the  Holy  Giiost,  taste  the  good  word  of  God.  and  the  powers 
of  the  world  to  come,  and  yet  fall  away,"  Heb.  vi.  4,  5.  He  may 
also  be  unblamable,  join  himself  to  the  society  of  the  godly,  like 
Judas  and  Demas,  and  "  give  his  body  to  be  burned"  for  the  truth, 
and  yet  not  do  his  work  in  truth,  and  not  possess  "  a  faith  that  work- 
eth  by  love,"  1  Cor.  xiii,  3,  by  which  means  he  attains  to  a  fond 
imagination,  that  he  is  already  a  most  eminent  believer. 

But  tl'irtt  he  may  yet  be  convinced,  at  leas^,  that  true  believers  may 
see  the  reality  of  this  work,  v/e  will  exhibit  certain  evidences  of  a  sin- 
cere work  of  faith,  in  opposition  to  the  work  of  temporary  believers ; 
•vhich  evidences  we  will  not  derive  from  any  circumstances,  nor 
from  the  degrees  of  faiih,  but  from  the  nature  of  the  work  of  grace 
and  of  faith,  as  it  is  found  m  every  believer,  and  in  believers  only. 

1.  The  true  believer  hath  a  spiritual  knowledge,  whereby  he  not 
only  apprehends  the  words  and  mysteries  of  scripture,  as  they  occur 
therein,  but  also  contemplates  the  things  themselves,  God,  Christ 
and  the  life  hidden  v/ith  God  :  "  he  sees  the  light  in  God's  light," 
Psalm  xxxvi.  9j  although  his  knowledge  be  ever  so  small.  We  have 
shown  this  before  ;  but  the  knowledge  of  the  temporary  believer 
proceeds  not  beyond  the  word,  it  leaves  his  soul  without  God,  and  he 
obtains  it  only  by  human  instruction,  by  his  own  barren,  carnal  reas° 
onings  and  speculations,  and  hence  he  is  filled  with  an  admiration 
of  himself,  and  while  he  teaches  others  in  an  imperious  nianner,  he 
desires  that  they  also  should  admire  him  and  be  astonished  at  his, 
wisdom.  See  how  Balaam  boasted  cencerning  his  wisdom  and  rapt- 
tures.  Numbers  xxiv.  3,  4.     And  thus  •«  knowledge  puffeth  up,  buj 


VII,  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  20-23,  iW 

chanty  edifieth.     And  if  any  man  think  that  he  knoweth  any  thing, 
he  knoweth  nothing  yet,  as  he  ought  to  know,"  1  Cor.  viii.  2,  3.      ^ 

2.  The  historical  faith  of  true  believers  is  \yroiight  in  them  by  the 
Ploly  Spirit,  who  not  only  explains  the  evidences  of  truth  and  divinity 
to  them,  but  also  impresses  the  truths  of  God  upon  their  hearts,  and. 
causes  them  to  see  those  truths,  as  we  have  proved  before  from  I 
Thess.  I.  5,  and  ii.  13,  so  that  they  are  moved  and  persuaded  to  be- 
lieve m,  and  to  love  God.  Christ,  and  his  service,  and  they  do  not 
attain  to  this  without  striving,  and  suffering  many  vexations  from 
their  unbelieving  l^.earts  and  -Satan-  See  Mark  ix.  23,  24.  But  the 
tempor^^ry  believer  hath  no  true  historical  faith  ;  it  is  commonly  only 
a  historical  knowledge^  and  a  supposing  that  the  word  of  God  is  the 
truth  ;  and  when  he  even  believes  it,  it  is  not  more  than  a  persua- 
sion, proceeding  from  the  exercise  of  his  own  judgment,  and  it  hath 
no  other  efi'cct  on  him,  than  to  induce  him  to  imagine  that  he  is 
now  some  extraordinary  person,  and  so  "  he  receiveth  the  word  anon 
with  joy  ;  yet  he  hath  no  root  in  himself,"  Matt,  xiii.  20,  21. 

3.  The  believer  is  employed  in  the  confiding  act  of  faith  ''  with  his 
heart,"  Rom.  x.  9,  and  that  with  respect  to  God  and  Christ,  whom 
he  receives,  and  unites  to  himself,  John  i.  12.  Eph.  iii.  \7,  With 
his  whole  heart  he  consents  to  the  proffer  of  grace,  hungers  and 
thirsts  atter  Christ,  surrenders  himself  to  him,  and  casts  himself  upon 
him.  A  temporary  bc^liever  is  employed  only  with  his  judgment, 
with  respect  to  the  apprehensions,  which  he  forms  of  faith,  and  he 
urges  with  his  thoughts,  \^hich  are  void  of  the  Spirit,  his  exercises 
according  to  those  apprehensions,  and  claims  faith  thus  without  the 
Spirit  of  fait;  .  He  imagines  then  that  he  hath  a  true  faith,  and  he 
rejoices  greatly  :  ''  And  thus  he  kindles  a  fire  himself,  compasses 
himself  about  with  sparks,  v/alks  in  the  light  of  his  fire,  and  in  the 
Sparks  that  he  hath  kindled,"  Isaiah  1.  11. 

4.  A  true  and  sincere  faith  sanctifieth  the  soul,  not  only  outwardly, 
but  '■*it  purifieth"  also  '■'•  the  heart,"  Acts  xv.  9.  It  begets  a  wonder- 
ful love  to  God,  to  his  service,  and  to  our  neighbour  ;  "  Faith  work- 
eth  by  love,"  Gal.  v.  6.  It  renders  a  person  humble,  lowly,  self-deny- 
ing, heavenly-minded,  and  joyful  in  God,  1  Tim.  i.  15.  1  Peter  i.  8. 
But  the  temporary  beUever  retains  his  rotten  and  abominable  heart  j 
it  is  enough  for  him,  that  others  cannot  point  out  any  great  fault  in 
him,  that  lie  can  talk  wonderfully  well  of  holiness,  and  he  wishes 
that  all  men  should  consider  him  as  a  zealous  Christian,  like  Jehu-. 
Sf- Kings  X.  16 

A  true  believer  engages  frequently  in  self-exaniinaticn  :  he  would 
not  willingly  deceive  himself  in  a  matter  of  such  great  con r;-^ quench ; 


1C5  SAVING  FAITH. 

he  descends  a  thousand  times  into  his  mind,  that  he  may  know 
vrhether  his  heait  do  not  deceive  him  ;  he  often  lays  his  soul  open 
to  (iod,  that  he  may  discover  to  him  whether  he  deceives  himself, 
like  David»  Psalm  cxxxix  23,  24,  yea,  he  doth  this  sometimes  to  a 
judicious  minister,  or  to  a  private  Christian,  that  hemay^judge^ 
whet  ler  he  be  fiithful  to  the  Lord,"  like  I  ydia,  Acts  xvi.  17.  Doth 
another  suspect  him,  he  is  v^rillin^  to  be  detected,  and  saith,  "Let the 
righteous  smite  me,  it  shall  be  a  kindness,"  Psalm  cxli.  5.  But  a 
teniporary  believer,  as  he  will  not  readily  descend  into  himself,  and 
only  contemplates  what  he  apprehends,  so  he  will  not  be  examined 
by  aaotiier  :  doth  any  one  suspect  him,  he  is  angry,  and  will  depart 
from  such  a  person,  as  Judas  departed  from  Christ,  when  he  detect- 
ed iiim,  John  xiii    20,  .26,  27,  30. 

Examine  yourselves  by  what  bath  been  said,  and  see  whether  ye 
have  faith  or  not,  and  deal  carefully  and  honestly  with  yourselves. 
If  ye  have  not  faith,  consider  in  what  a  deplorable  condition  ye  are  s 
"  Ye  are  wit  lout  Christ,  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  and 
stranjjers  from  t^e  covenants  of  promise,  having  no  hope,  and  with- 
out -iod  in  tas  world,"  nph  ii.  12  The  word,  and  all  things  "are 
unprohtable  to  you,"  Heb  iv.  2,  "  the  wrath  of  God  licth  on  you," 
John  iii.  36,  and  *' ye  shall  be  damned,"  Mark  xvi.  16.  Alas  !  lay 
this  to  heart,  and  let  •*  the  terrour  of  the  Lord  persuade  you  to  be- 
lieve," 2  Cor.  V.  1 1.  The  Son  of  God  calls  yet  to  you, "  O  harden  not 
your  hearts,  while  to-day  yc  hear  his  voice,"  Psalm  xcv.  7,  8.  Heb.  iii. 
7,  8.  No  sin,  though  ever  so  great,  ought  to  keep  you  from  him: 
"  he  will  in  no  wise  cas  any  one  out,  who  omes  to  him,"  John  vi. 
37.     He  rectives  t.  e  vilest  sinner.  1  Tim.  i.  13,  14,  15. 

But  with  respect  to  you  who  have  these  evidences,  permit  me  to 
say  briefly  for  your  direction,  1.  Be  assured,  that  not  only  to  others^ 
but  to  you  also,  forgiveness  of  sins,  everlasting  righteousness,  and 
salvation  are  freely  gnen  of  God ;  ye  have  the  evidences  of  it,  and 
know  n^^w  "  in  whom  ye  have  beli-jvc.,,"  2  Tim.  i.  12 

2.  Rejoice  with  the  gaoler,  that  ye  believe.  Acts  xvi  34.  Yea,, 
praise  the  Lord  on  this  account ;  for  it  is  your  great  happiness,  and 
*'  he  hath  given  it  to  you  of  his  grace,"  Philip   i.  2'^-.  Eph.  ii.  8,  9. 

3.  I'ndeavour  to  increase  in  faith,  for  which  the  apostle  prayed, 
Luke  xvii  5.  Unbelief  is  exceedingly  hurtful  to  you  in  every  rcspectj 
Matt.  xvii.  20.  Isaiah  vii.  9.  Heb.  iv.  2.  Yea,  it  is  a  sin  which  ought 
to  be  reproved.  See  Mark  ix.  19. 

4.  Livtf  now  by  faith,  by  a  frequent  exercise  of  it,  as  we  have  said 
beit-re-  foi'  It  is  the  breathing  of  the  soul. 

5.  Cherish  industriously  your  historical  faith  ^  for  that  alone  gives 


VII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  20—23.  '    1^9 

Vigour  to  all  the  exercises  of  the  soul ;  "  It  is  the  substance  of  thing^ 
hoped  for,  and  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen,"  Heb.  xi.  1. 

6.  -onfess  also  the  doctrine  of  fajth,  though  it  should  be  with  the 
hazard  of  your  lives  :  "  P'or  with  the  heart  man  belleveth  unto  right- 
eousness, and  with  the  mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salvation," 
Rom.  X.  10.  See  also  I  Peter  iii.  5    Matt.  x.  32,  33. 

7.  Comfort  youi'selves  also  with  your  faith,  knowing  «'  that  he  who 
believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  hfe,"  I  John  iii.  36,  1$  your 
faitii  weak,  salvation  depends  not  on  the  degree,  but  on  ihe  essence 
of  faith  ;  "  The  bruised  reed  he  will  not  break,  and  the  smokin:^  Qax 
he  will  not  quench,"  Matt,  xii  28.  Yea,  he  will  one  day  change 
faith  into  vision,  1  Cor  xiii.  12  "  We  see  now  through  a  glass 
da.-kiy  ;  but  taen  face  to  face  :  n<»w  I  kiiOw  in  part ;  bHt  then  shali 
I  know  fcven  as  also  i  am  known,"  Amen. 


Bb 


ira; 


THE 


CHRISTIAN'S  FAITH 


IN  THE  DIVINE  TRINITY 


VIII.  LORD'S  DAYc 


SlCrn  xiii  14.  The  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love 
of  God,  and  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost  be  with  you  all, 
Amen. 

Q,  24.   Iloiu  are  these  articles  divided? 
A.  Into  three  parts  ;  the  first  is  of  God  the  Father,  and  our  crea- 
tion ;  the  second  of  God  the  Son,  and  our  redemption ;  the  third  of 
God  tae  Holy  Ghost,  and  our  sanctification. 

Q.   25.  Since  there  is  only  but  one  divine  essence,  why  afieakesC  thou 
of  Father^  Son^  and  Holy  Ghost  ? 

A.  Because  God  hath  so  revealed  himself  in  his  word,  that  these 
three  distinct  Persons  are  the  one  only  true  and  eternal  God. 


A 


PERSON  who  is  desirous  to  learn  any  art,  is  not  presently 
able  to  comprehend  and  exercise  it  perfectly  :  but  he  must  begin 
with  the  first  principles  of  it,  must  by  them  be  led  up  to  more  per« 
feet  conceptions,  and  must  by  frequent  exercises  render  the  ait 
familiar  to  himself.  Let  us  mstance  in  the  art  of  reading  :  no  mac 
is  able  to  attain  by  a  single  exertion  to  the  highest  degree  of  skill  ic 
it,  but  lie  must  in  the  first  place  endeavour  to  learn  the  letters,  then 
syllables,  and  afterwards  words  and  sentences.    Thus  it  is  also  with 


VIII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  24,  25.  Wt 

knowing  God :  it  doth  not  please  God,  to  reveal  himself  in  the  clear- 
est and  highest  manner  to  the  elect  sinner  at  the  beginning.  No 
man,  who  is  yet  in  a  state  of  mortality  is  presently  able  to  receive 
such  a  revelation.  "  No  man  shall  see  God  and  live ;"  he  may  «  see 
only  his  backparts,"  No  man  is  able  to  understand  the  language  of 
God,  by  which  he  would  reveal  himself  in  the  c  earest  n»anner  t 
therefore  it  is  necessary  that  God  should  adopt  the  language  of  men, 
and  stammer  with  them  as  children,  on  account  of  the  nothingness 
and  darkness  of  the  sinner.  Thus  he  conducted,  when  the  church 
wa3  ii>  a  state  of  childhood  :  "  he  subjected  her  to  the  elements  of 
the  world,"  GaU  iv.  3.  The  Son  of  God,  manifested  in  the  flesh," 
spake  the  word  with  many  parables  to  the  Jews,  as  they  were  able  to 
htar  it,"  Mark  iv.  33  Paul  requireth  that  we  should  **  go  on  from 
5rst  principles  to  perfection.  Heb.  v.  12,  13,  14.  vi.  1.  The  primi=» 
tive  Christians  had  also  their  brief  compends,  that  they  might  be  led 
up,  as  it  were,  from  first  principles,  to  higher  conceptions :  at  first 
they  adopted  the  institution  of  baptism,  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity, 
Matt,  xxviii.  19,  as  a  summary  of  the  whole  doctrine  of  Christianity; 
on  which  account,  when  in  aftcrtimes  they  composed  their  brief 
creeds  Tliey  arranged  them  according  to  that  short  system  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  which  is  professed  and  sealed  in  baptism : 
we  see  this  in  the  Nicene  creed,  and  in  that  of  Athanasius,  and  thus 
also  in  the  creed,  which  is  the  subject  of  our  pj  esent  consideration. 

The  instructor  having  explained  saving  faith,  and  taught  that  a 
Christian  must  believe  all  that  is  promised  to  us  in  the  gospel,  and 
knowing  that  a  beginner  is  not  able  to  comprehend  forthwith  all  those 
promises,  he  therefore  conducts  him  to  the  compendious  creed  of 
Christians,  which  he  divides  according  to  the  order  of  the  three 
Persons.  This  method  is  so  ancient,  and  so  useful  to  the  church, 
and  is  therefore  so  proper,  that  we  do  not  deem  it  necessary  to  seek 
any  other. 

Three  particulars  are  exhibited  to  us  in  this  Lord's  day* 

I.  The  division  of  the  articles  of  faith,  Question  24, 

II.  An  objection  against  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  Question  25o 

III.  In  what  manner  we  believe  ni  the  Triune  God. 

I.  With  respect  to  the  first  part  we  will  endeavour  to  illustrate 
three  particulars.  1.  That  there  is  a  God,  2.  What  he  is,  and  3» 
Who  he  isi 

A  That  there  is  a  God  is  self-evident.  When  we  speak  of  God, 
we  and  all  others  mean  an  infinitely  perfect  being,  who  is  the  cause 
of  all  things,  and  to  whom  all  men  are  subject,  as  their  Lawgiver. 
The  scripture  doth  not  attempt  to  prove  that  there  is  such  a  being 


If 2  THE  CHRISTIAN  .S  FAITH,  kci 

as  God,  but  ohly  that  the  Creator  of  all  things  and  the  Cod  of  Tsmei 

is  the  only  true  God.  God  the  Lord  supposeth  that  he  h  -.Lh  to  dp 
-w  itli  easonable  men,  M'ho  know  of  themselves  that  there  is  a  Ciod  ; 
*'  becau?ie  that  which  may  be  known  of  God  is  manifest  in  them,*^ 
Rom.  i.  29.  And  it  is  indeed  self-evident  from  the  li^jjht  of  nature,' 
that  God  is  (a)  an  iniinirt'ly  perfect  being.  The  word^God  is  under- 
stood in  ihis  sense  by  every  person,  even  when  he  denies  the  exist- 
ence of  Gpd.  r^ow  it  belonj^s  to  infinite  perfection  to  exist  neces- 
sarily ;  for  it  is  a  greater  perfection  to  exist,  tiian  not,to  exist  n'r-ressari- 
ly,  ihan  to  exisi  accidentally.  When  anyone  speaksof  God,  he  speaks  of 
a  beingN  who  is  necessary  :  and  when  any  one  saitli,  ti^re  is  no  God, 
be  saiih,  that  a  being  who  exists  necessarily,  dpth  not  exist,  and  so 
he  contradicts  himself,  and  shows  that  he  is  "  a  fool,  who  saith  in  his 
heart,  There  is  no  God,"  Psalm  xiv.  I.  (b)  !t  is  also  self-evidenty 
that  God  is  the  first  cause  of  all  things.  Nothing,  that  is  not  God^ 
can  be  the  cause  of  it-elf.  that  is,  by  the  nature  of  its  essence  ;  when 
we  therefore  contemplatt;  the  universe  with  respect  to  its  variety, 
beauty,  order  and  stability,  we  become  conscious  ol  ourselves,  that 
there  is  a  first  cause  of  all  these  things  :  ''  for  the  invisible  things  of 
him  from  the  creation  of  the  world  are  clearly  seen,  being  understood 
by  the  things  that  are  m^de,  even  his  eternal  power,  and  Godhead," 
Rom.  i.  20.  See  Job  xii  7,  8,  9  (c)  It  is  also  self-evident,  that  God 
is  a  lawgiver.  It  is  a  dictate  of  our  nature,  that  v/e  ought  to  honour 
our  parents,  and  rear  up  our  children,  and  that  we  ought  not  to  in- 
jure any  person.  According  as  we  do,  or  neglect  these  things,  we 
shall  accuse  or  excuse  ourselves,  adjudge  ourselves  to  deserved  pun- 
ishment, or  acqviit  ourselves,  Paul  also  teacheth  us  this,  Rom.  ii. 
1*,  15.  And  surely  this  teaches  me^,  tliat  there  is  a  sovereign  Law- 
giver, and  that  they  are  subject  to  him  ;  for  they  would  otherwise 
discharge  themselves  from  such  an  obligation  to  a  law,  and  from 
those  compunctions  on  account  of  their  improper  behaviour  ;  which 
tliey  have  nevertheless  not  been  able  to  do,  how  much  soever  certain 
individuals  have  endeavoured  to  do  it.  This  is  the  cause  why  the 
sense  of  a  Godl^.ead  is  universal  in  all  nations,  who  would  rather 
accept  of  the  vilest  object  for  a  God,  than  deny  the  Godhead. 

Are  there  any  nations,  who  discover  few  or  no  tr>ces  of  religiou^ 
•worship,  they  exhibit  also  but  few  traces  of  humanity.  And  there- 
fore  we  cannot  say  that  the  knowledge  of  God  is  not  natural  to  man, 
any  more  than  we  can  say  that  humanity  and  lationality  are  not  na- 
tural to  him ;  thus  we  cannot  say  neither  that  it  is  not  natural  to 
parents  to  love  their  children,  because  there  are  degenerate  parents. 
)^b2  are  "  without  natural  affe9tion,"  Rom.  i.  3-    Q  Tim.  iii.  3. 


VIII.  LOR'S  DAY.  Q.  24,  25.  ifS 

'^<  Doth  the  fool  say  in  his  heart,  there  is  no  Cioci,"  Psalm  xiv.  1, 
this  only  intimates  thut  he  endeavours  to  erase  every  idea  of  a  Uod- 
head  out  of  his  heart,  and  not  that  he  etlects  so  qjucIi,  that  he  re- 
moves every  idea  oF  a  Godhead  out  of  his  mind  ;  wh  ch  is  so  mucti 
the  more  evident,  because  that  psalm  speaks  of  the  Jews  in  general, 
as  Well  as  of  ih*i  Gentiles,  inasmuch  as  the  first  three  verses  ...re  quo- 
ted by  Paul  to  prove  that  Jews,  as  well  us  Gentiles,  "  are  ail  un- 
der sin,"  Rom.  iii.  9 — 12,  Now  certainly  ail  tiie  Jews  do  not  deny, 
and  are  not  without  some  idea  of  a  Godhead. 

Thercfoie  we  cannot  allow  tnc  ass;!rtion,  that  a  person  ought  to 
•loubl  of,  or  to  suspend  his  judgment  coiiceiiunt;  all  thintts,  yea, 
«ven  of  the  existence  of  a  God  ;  *  for  th.s  is  nb'-minable.  Doubting: 
©f  the  testimony  of  God  entered  into  the  world  first  froui  tho 
devil,  Gen.  iii.  l.  it  is  also  exceedingly  dan[;;erous,  and  scarce!/ 
possible. 

Although  we  may  know  of  ours';;lves  that  there  is  a  Godj 
nevertheless  such  a  natural  knowledge  is  not  suilicient  to  salvation  ; 
for  it  doth  not  teach  us  the  /Uithor  of  salvation,  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity,  the  Mediator,  nor  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  it  leaves  the 
heathens,  who  have  no  more  tlian  such  a  natural  light,  estranged 
from  God  and  the  Mediator,  under  the  covenant  of  works,  and  there- 
fore under  the  curse,  Eph.  ii.  12.  iv.  18.  Gal.  iii.  10.  Rom.  iii.  19. 
3.  Since  now  we  have  to  do  v/ith  God,  therefore  it  concerns  us  to 
know  wb^God  is.  We  learn  this  from  his  names  and  attributes,  of 
both  which  we  will  speak  briefly  and  cursorily.  God  the  Lord  be- 
ing but  difte  only  God,  necUcth  no  names  to  distinguish  him  from 
any  who  are  like  him,  nevertheless  as  it  pleases  him  to  disiingu'sh 
himself  from  idols,  ttud  to  make  himself  known  to  men,  therefore  he 
hath  expressed  himself  also  by  namts.  The^e  names  of  God  are  in  the 
Hebrew,  Jehovah^  that  is  tiie  selfexistcnt,  and  alone  existing  God,  Ex- 
od.  iii.  14,  which  name  cannot  be  ascribed  to  any  creature,  Isaiah  xliio 
8.  We  find  also  the  name  Juh^  which  as  well  as  tiie  name  Jehovah, 
is  rendered  by  our  translators,  Lord,  with  capital  letters  Is aiah  xxvi. 
4.  A.nd  this  name  is  either  a  contraction  oi  Jehovah,  or  denotes  the 
God  of  propriety,  and  is  therefore  frequently  used  in  ascriptions  of 
praise.  See  psalm  cl.  6.  i  o  this  w«  add  idoiuiu  whicii  our  'runs- 
lators  render  Lord,  with  small  letters,  and  which  d^-notes  that  God  is  % 
sovereign  Lord,  who  beareth  and  up iioldeth  all  things  by  his  provi- 

'  This  was  tbe  opinion  of  the  Cartesians,  a  sec^  of  phdosnphfrs  frunded  hj 
I>es  Cartes,  a  French  philosonhar,  who  flaHrished  taward  the  micldl«  of  th* 
^evcnr«cnth  ceniurf . 


in  THE  CHRISTIANS  FAITH,  ^.c. 

dence.  F.l  r>i;^nifies  the  strong  God  :  and  lastly  we  find  the  name 
BUJitn,  si^uifying  the  ood  of  the  oath,  or  ol  the  covenant,  and  it  in- 
tliuares  also,  ds  some  ihmk,  i!^e  phiralit\  of  the  divine  Persons.  All 
these  HeDrcw  names,  t!>e  writers  of  the  New  reslament  translate 
in  Greek  by  Kurios-,  Lord,  and  T/ieo6;  God.  These  are  not  names 
ofufuce,  as  liie  Socinians  assert,  but  names  of  naiuie,  as  appears 
from  Gal.  iv.  «.  Kom.  i.  iO.  Coll.  ii.  9 

Wc  ieain  what  God  is  alro  frt.m  his  attributes  :  these  are  the 
perfcvtions  of  God,  which  are  so  p  opcir  to  him,  that  they  represent 
his  essence  to  us  m  the  most  sirikinv^  ini^nner.  Although  tiity 
are  the  most  simple  essence  itself^  without  any  composition,  they 
are  nevertheless  proposed  and  divided  us  muny,  because  we  are  in- 
capabl'.:  of  comprehending  God  perfcctiy  by  ai:y  single  act  of  our 
uiideistandinj^.  'I  he  attributes  of  God  are  with  propriety  distin- 
guished nto  incommunicable,  of  M'hich  there  is  not  the  least  resem- 
bi.ince  in  any  creature,  and  communicable,  which  doth  not  imply 
that  there  are  any  aaributes  of  God,  which  are  communicated  to  a 
creature,  as  they  are  in  God  ;  but  that  God  Iiath  expressed  in  his 
ima<>-i  a  certain  likeness  to  himiielf  in  the  reasonable  creature,  and 
that  it  thus  becomes  "  a  part^aker  of  iJie  divine  nature."  See  Gen. 
i.  2®.  2  Peier  i.  1.  We  reduce  the  incommunicable  attributes  to 
three,  to  wit, 

1.  The  independence  of  God,  which  is  his  all-suTxiency,  whereby, 
through  the  perfection  of  his  essence,  he  is,  hath,  and  ddth  all  things, 
bee  Gen.  :;vii    1.  Acts  xvii.  25. 

2.  The  simpli(  ity  of  God,  which  excludes  all  diversity  and  compo- 
sition of  parts,  and  whereby  ah  that  is  in  God  is  God  himself.  And 
so  the  attributes  are  not  accidents  of  the  divine  essence,  nor  some- 
Ih.nej  diiTerent  from  the  essence,  as  one  attribute  is  not  something 
different  from  the  other ;  but  God  is  in  all  things  the  same.  Thu« 
we  find  that  the  life  and  holmes::  of  God  are  God  himself;  for  when 
God  is  said  to  swear  by  his  life,  Deut.  xxxii.  40,  and  by  his  holiness, 
Amos  iv,  2,  he  is  also  said  to  swear  by  himself,  Amos  vi.  8.  Heb. 
vi.  1,  3,  13.  From  which  simplicity  of  God  it  also  follows,  (a)  that 
"  he  is  a  Spirit,"  John  iv.  24,  and  therefore  an  immaterial  being, 
who  acts  from,  and  in  himself,  by  his  understanding  and  will,  (b) 
That  "the  Lord  oiar  God  is  one  Lord,"  Deut.  vi.  4.  (c)  That  he  is 
unchangeable,  "  with  whom%liere  is  neiihcr  chnnj^inj^;,  nor  shadow 
of  turnin;;,"  James  i.  17.  (d)  That  be  is  also  invisible.  "  He  dwell- 
eth  in  the  li^hr  to  which  no  man  can  approach  ;  and  no  man  hath 
seen,  nor  can  see  him, '  1  Tim.  vi.  16.  (e)  That  he  cannot  be  repre- 
sented by  any  image,  we  cannot  express  God  by  any  image.     **  T# 


VIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  34,  25.  175 

whom  will  ye  liken  God,  and  what  likeness  "will  ye  compare  unto 
him  r"  Isaiiih  xi.  8.  \Vc  are  also  iorbidden  to  make  au  imuge  of 
him,  Exod.  xx.  4. 

3.  The  third  incommunicable  attribute  of  God  is  his  infinity,  by 
^hich  he  infinitely  exceeds  every  limited  perF.ctioj;,  and  this  maf 
be  considered  wilh  respect  to  his  essence,  lo  tiuRc,  place,  and  our  con- 
ceplion.  God  is  Iniinile  (a)  wiLh  respect  to  his  essence,  which  is  in 
itseU'  as  pLiiectly  glorious,  as  it  can  be,  so  that  notijng  can  be  added 
to,  or  taken  from  his  perfect  glory.  "  For  who  in  the  heaven  can  be 
compared  to  the  Lord  ?  who  among  the  sons  of  the  mi';hty  may  be 
iikened  to  the  Lord?"  Psalm  Ixxxix.  6.  (b)  With  respect  to  time, 
the  mfinity  of  Gcd  is  his  eternity,  by  which  he  is  from  everlasting  to 
everlasting^,  without  succession  of  lime,  Paaim  xc.  L  2.  Z  Pet.  111.  8.  Cc) 
Vvilh  respect  to  place,  the  iniinity  of  God  is  his  omnipresence  or 
immensity,  his  essence  being  neither  included  rior  excluded  any 
where,  nor  bounded  by  any  conceivable  place ;  "  He  fiileth  the  hea- 
ven and  tlie  earth,"  Jer.  xxiii  24.  1  Kings  viii.  27.  (d)  VVitli  re- 
spect to  our  conception,  the  infinity  of  God  is  his  iRccmprehens'.biIit.y ; 
we  cannot  form  any  perfect,  altnough  we  may  form  a  true  idea  of 
him  ;  for  "  his  greatjiess  is  unsearchable,"  Psalm  cxlv.  3. 

The  communicable  atiributcr>  of  God  are  his  knowledge,  Vvill,  and 
power. 

1.  The  knowledge  of  Gad  is  that  perfection  of  his,  whereby  he 
knows  from  and  of  hirasclf,  in  an  independent,  simple  and  infinite 
manner  all  things,  even  those  which  are  future,  voluntary,  and  acci- 
dental :  *'  for  there  is  no  creature  that  is  not  manifest  in  his  sight : 
but  ail  tijings  are  naked,  and  opened  to  the  eyes  of  him  with  whom 
we  have  to  do,"  Heb.  iv.  13.  God  knows  some  things  necessarily 
without  respect  to  any  decree..  After  this  manner  he  knows  hmiself 
in  his  essence  and  Persons,  and  all  possible  things.  Matt.  xi.  '-T. 
He  knows  other  things  freely  by  his  decree,  which  renders  them  fu- 
ture, and  "according  to  which  he  worketh  all  things,"  Eph.  i.  lU 
But  God  hath  no  middle  knowledge,*  whereby  he  knows  what  the 
reasonable  creature  will  do  in  this  or  that  situation,  acc)rdlng  to  its 
innate  liberty  ;  for  this  militates  against  the  independ' nee,  simpli- 
city, and  infinity  of  God  :  neither  is  any  thing  future  or  knowable, 
iiidependent  of  the  decree  of  God. 

3.  The  will  of  God  is  his  complacency,  which  he  hath  in  himself, 

*Tlae  middle  knowledge  of  Ccd,  or  the  sasniia  meiiim.  was  invfinfecJ  by  the 
Jesuits,  in  order  to  reconcile  the  diTine  fere-knevrle^g*  w*^  *^^^  doctrine 
concerning  freewiil. 


iro  THE  CHRISTIAN'S  FAITH,  &g. 

and  in  all  those  things,  in  wnich  he  findeth  himself.  This  will  of 
God  IS  considered*  with  respect  to  iis  objects,  (1)  As  the  will  of  the 
decree,  whereby  he  hath  wisely,  freely,  independently,  and  unchange- 
ably deteraiined  from  eternit-  what  he  would  do  or  perniit  m  future: 
"  i  fe  worket!)  all  tnin,q;s  after  tho  council  of  his  own  *vil!,"  Eph.  i.  1  U 
(2)  As  tie  will  of  his  cornraand,  whereby  he  declares  what  he  will 
have  his  creaturts  to  do  or  forbear,  1  Tbess.  iv.  3.  We  will  not 
busy  onrs  Ives  with  showing  that  these  are  noi  different  wills  in 
God,  and  in  what  manner  otiiers  erroneously  divide  the  will  of  Uod : 
for  our  time  will  not  ptrmit.  But  we  must  briefly  inquire  further 
whn  virtues  are  atnbuted  to  the  m  HI  of  God  :  these  are,  (a)  the  holi- 
ness of  God,  which  is  tlic  briL^htne-s  of  all  his  perfections,  whereby 
the  greattst  becomingness  shines  forth  from  his  essence  and  works, 
Isai.ih  vi.  3.  (b)  fiis  riii'hu^ousness  which  is  ascribed  to  him.  (I)  As 
God,  being  the  rectitude  of  his  essence,  and  therefore  his  holiness, 
Psalm  xcii.  15.  (2)  s  Ruler,  and  wliich  he  manifests  in  his  words 
and  works  ;  and  so  the  righteousness  of  God  is  his  truth,  faithful- 
ness and  steadfastness  in  his  words,  so  that  he  do'h  not  repent, 
1  Jonn  i  9j  and  a  supieme  fitness  in  liis  works,  Deut.  xxxi.  4.  (3)  As 
Judjjc  of  his  rational  creaiures,  Jxiving  them  big  righteous  law,  and 
judging  them  according  to  it,  whether  he  reward  them  for  that 
"Which  is  good  with  his  kindness,  or  punish  them  for  that  which  iz 
evd,  righteously  and  equitably,  Fcom.  ii.  6.  James  iv.  12.  (c)  The 
third  virtue  of  God's  will  is  his  gofidncss,  which  is  either  the  virtu- 
ousiijss  of  God's  naiure,  in  which  respect  "  there  is  none  good  but 
one,  that  is,  God,"  Vlatt.  xix.  17,  or  his  beneficence  to  his  creatures; 
for  "  he  is  good  ?ind  doth  good,"  Psalm  cxix.  58.  In  ubich  good- 
ness of  God  we  must  also  include  his  love,  grace,  mercy,  longsuf- 
fering  and  forbearance.  God's  love  is  either  his  inclination  to  do 
good  to  his  creatures,  Kom.  v  8,  or  the  complacency  which  he  hath 
in  tlie  good  of  tliose  whom  he  favours,  Joim  xvi.  27.  His  grace  is 
his  kindness  to  the  unworthy,  Rom.  iii.  23,  24,  his  mercy  is  his 
goodness  to  the  miserable.  Psalm  Ixix.  16,  his  longsuffering  and  for- 
bearance is  his  kindness,  which  he  shows  in  deferring  the  deserved 
punishment.  Rom.  li.  4,  5. 

3.  The  third  communicable  attribute  of  God  is  his  power,  by 
■which  he  can  effect  with  an  unfailing  might  whatever  he  will  and 
Can  will,  con^jistently  with  his  holy  nature,  Jer.  xxxii.  17.  Matt, 
iii.  9. 

From  what  hath  been  said  it  follows,  that  God  alone  is  incompa- 
rably glorious,  blessed,  sovereign,  and  therefore  worthy  of  all  hon- 
our, fear,  love  and  worship  ;  "  The  blessed  and  only  Potentate,  th|? 


VIII    LORDb  DAY,  Q.  -^4,  ^..  57 r 

Kinpc  of  kings,  and  Lord  Qfiords  ;  who  only  hatli  immorfaiiLy,  dwel- 
ling in  the  light  unto  which  no  man  can  approach,  whom  no  mwi 
hath  seen,  nor  can  see  :  to  whom  be  honour  and  power  everUfsfiM  -  " 
1  Tim-  vi.  15,  16. 

C  Hut  who  is  this  infinitely  glorious  God  !  If  nature  be  bViml 
any  where,  she  is  here  :  God  remains  unknown  to  man,  until  he  le- 
veals  himself,  which  he  dolh  when  he  declares  himself  to  be  Fa- 
ther, Son,  and  Holy  Ghost.  This  implies  not  that  there  are  three 
Gods,  for  there  cannot  be  more  than  one  God,  who  nevertheless  re> 
veals  himself  as  three,  to  wit,  one  in  essence,  and  three  in  Persons. 
This  we  must  first  explain,  and  then  prove. 

We  observe,  in  order  to  explain  this  doctrine,  [A]  that  the  words 
-sssence  and  persons  may  with  the  greatest  propriety,  yea,  ought  to 
be  used  in  the  church,  although  these  words  were  even  not  used  in 
the  holy  scripture,  which  the  Socinians  however  deny  ;  for  we  must 
explain  the  word  and  mysteries  of  God  to  the  people  by  such  words 
as  are  best  understood,  and  most  in  \ise  am.ong  them  ;  moreover, 
the  holy  scripture  is  not  an  entire  stranger  to  these  words  ;  for  it 
speaks  of  the  essence  of  God,  when  it  describes  God  by  his  existence 
and  essence,  Exod.  ii.  14,  *'  God  said  unto  Moses,  I  am  that  I  am. 
And  he  said,  Thus  shaltthou  say  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  I  am 
hath  sent  me  unto  you.  See  also  Prov.  viii.  14.  Rev.  i.  8.  The 
scripture  speaks  also  of  "  the  nature  of  God,"  Gal.  iv.  8,  "  his  form," 
Phihp.  ii.  6,  "  Godhead,"  Acts  xvii.  29.  Coll.  ii.  9,  "  divinity,"  Rom. 
i.  20.  All  these  words  denote  only  the  essence  of  God.  TI  us  we 
find  also  the  word  Person.  The  Son  of  God  is  '*  the  express  image 
of  his  Person,"  saith  Paul,  Heb.  i.  3. 

B.  It  serves  also  to  explain  this  doctrine,  to  know  what  these 
words  signify.  By  the  essence  of  God  we  must  understand  the  in- 
finitely perfect  nature  of  God,  which  is  common  to  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  words  nature,  form,  (Jodhead,  and  divinity 
of  God,  do  of  themselves  show.  By  a  divine  Person  vve  cannot  un- 
derstand a  bare  and  mere  negation  of  composition  with  something 
else,  so  that  a  divine  Person  should  not  be  something  positive  ;  for 
then  the  three  Persons  would  be  a  mere  nothing,  as  also  their  per- 
sonal properties  and  works,  of  which,  presently  ;  yea,  then  the  per- 
sonality of  the  Son  would  have  been  annihilated,  when  he  united 
himself  to  the  human  nature  ;  but  by  a  divine  Person  we  must  un^ 
derstandan  intelligent  substance  in  the  di^ine  essence,  whereby  that 
Person  is  individually  what  he  is,  without  being  a  component  part  of 
the  divine  essence,  or  of  another  divine  Person  ;  as  angels  and  men 
arc  persons,  but  not  the  ^oul  of  man,  separated  from  the  body  ;  for 


ir«  i  HE  CliRiSilAN'S  BAItH,  &:c. 


♦hough  it  remains  alive  after  death, -it  ik 'Nevertheless  a   crompoiitnt 
part  of  man,  and  is  disposed  to  an  laiion  with  the  body. 

C.  To  this  v/e  also  add,  that  there  are  tliree  Persons  in  the  divine 
essence,  to  wit,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  These 
»re  not  merely  three  names,  in  sucli  a  sense,  that  the  essence  of 
God  is  now  ca!led  Father,  then  So..,  and  then  Holy  Ghost,  as  Sabel- 
lius  fancied  in  the  ancient  churcli  ;  fcr  there  are  different  individu- 
als m  tlie  divine  essence,  not  different  Gods,  as  the  ancient  Trithe- 
i3ts  taught  ;  for  then  there  would  be  three  Gods,  but  there  are  dif- 
ferent Persons,  and  each  Person  is  individually  what  he  is,  and  is  dis- 
tini-'uished  from  the  others  by  his  peculiar  manner  of  existence. 
TIius  the  Son  said,  John  zuv.  1 S,  "  1  will  pray  the  Father,  and  he 
will  give  you  another  Comforter."  The  Persons  are  distinguished 
from  each  other  by  their  personal  properties.  These  are  ( 1 )  That 
the  Father,  as  Fatlier,  is  of  himself,  and  that  he  is  not  begotten,  and 
doth  not  proceed  from  another  Person,  but  that  he  hath  begotten 
the  Son,  and  that  the  Holy  Ghost  pioceedeth  from  him  :  that  the 
Son,  as  Son,  io  begotten  by  the  Father,  and  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
proceeds  from  the  Father  and  the  Son.  This  we  are  taught,  John 
V.  2fij  XV.  25.(2)  That  the  Father  is  the  first,  the  Son  the  second, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  the  third  Perbon,  both  in  the  order  of  subsis- 
te3;ice  and  of  working.  See  Mcitt.  xxviii.  19.  (3)  That  the  Father 
worketh  from  himself  through  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost ;  that 
the  Son  vrorketh  from  the  Father  through  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  from  the  Father  and  the  Son.  This  is  illustrated  to  us, 
John  xvi.  13,  14,  15.  "When  he  the  Spirit  of  truth  is  come  he  will 
guide  you  into  all  truth  ;  for  he  shall  not  speak  of  himself ;  but 
whatsoever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak  ;  and  he  will  show  yo'j 
things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me  :  for  he  shall  receive  of  mine, 
and  shall  show  it  unto  you.  All  things  that  the  Father  hath  are 
mine  ;  therefore  said  I  that  he  shall  take  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it 
unio  you."  The  works  of  God  without  himself  are  indeed  com- 
mon to  the  three  Persons,  and  therefore  creation,  v/hich  is  otherwise 
the  work  of  the  Father,  is  also  ascribed  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy 
Ghost,  John  i.  1,  2,  S,  Gen.  i.  2.  Thus  also  the  work  |of 'redemp- 
tion, which  is  especially  the  work  of  the  Son,  and  the  workof  sanc- 
tification,  which  is  the  proper  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  ascribed  to 
the  Father,  Hosea  i.  7.  Titus  iii.  4,  5,  6.  Jude  vrs.  I.  Neverthe- 
less the  divine  Persons  observe  in  these  works  a  certain  order  and 
manner  of  working,  which  follows  the  order  and  manner  of  their  sub- 
2i;itcnce,  by  which  the  Father  works  from  himself  through  the  Son 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  hath  been  shown  above,  agreeably  to  John 


Vni.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  24,  25.  17» 

xn,  13,  14,  15.  And  therefore  when  creation  is  ascribed  to  the 
Son  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  is  said  that  the  Father  created  by 
riieni:  '*  By  the  word  of  the  Lord  wtre  the  heavens  made,  and  all 
the  nest  ©f  them  by  the  breath  of  his  nsouth,"  Psalm  xxxiii.  6,  Thus 
also  the  redemption  of  the  Son  wa-;  the  work  of  the  Father,  Rom.  iii. 
25,  26,  2  Cor.  i.  30;,  and  so  likewise  the  sanctification  cf  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  a  work  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  Titus  iii.  4,  5,  6. 

Inaaniuch  as  a  rii^ht  knowledge  of  this   mystery  conduceth  much 
to  an  explanation  of  the  emphasis  of  the  phrases  in  the  word  of  God, 
to  an  illustration  of  the  great  mysteries  of  God,  to  the  confutation  of 
errours,  which  proceed  especially  from  an  ignorance  of  this  myste- 
ry, and  to  the  direction  of  the  people  of  God  in  all  their  ccmmunica- 
tion.s  and  intercourses  with  and  relative  to  God  ;    we  shall  therefore 
insist  somewhat  longer  on  this  subject.     We  must   know  then,  that 
God   purposing  to  glorify  himself  by    exhibdting  the   lustre   of  his 
wisdom,  justice,  goodness  and  power,  resolved  to  save   certain  per-= 
t:ons  of  mankind,  and  to  appoint  others  objects  of  his   wrath;    and 
that  in  order  to  accomplish  this  great  purpose,  he  decreed  to  create 
mankind,  to  enter  into  a  covenant  of  works    with    them,  to  permit 
them  to  fall,  and  to  send  his  Son  to  be  a  Saviour  of  some  of  them, 
and  to  give  them  his  Spirit,  in  order  to  prepare  them  for  an  inheri- 
tance with  the  saints  in  light  :  "  All    this   God    worketh    after   the 
council  of  his  own  will,"  Eph.  i.  11.     It  is  also  accordingly  evident, 
that  the  three  divine  Peisons  have,   according  tu  an  eternal  appoint- 
ment in  the  council  of  peace,  distributed   this    whole   work   among 
themselves,  and  that  each  Person  hath  taken   a  particular   work  to 
himself,  in  order  to  contribute  his  part  to  perfect  the  salvation  of  the 
sinner  ;  this  appears  from  the  event,  inasmuch  as  grace  is  attributed 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  love  is  to  God  the  Father,  and  the  com- 
munion of  the  sinner  with  the  Father  and  the  Son  in  their  love  and 
grace  to  the  Holy  Spirit.     We  see  this  in  our  text,  and  in  our  bap- 
tism, Matt,  xxviii.  19,     And  therefore   the   ancients  were  not  to  be 
blamed  for  reducing  ail  the  articles  of  faith  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity ;  for  which  reason  our  form    of  baptism  also   refers    God's 
whole  work  of  grace  with  the  elect  sinner  to  each    divine   Person, 
showing  what  each  Person  signifieth  and  sealeth  to  the  person  who 
is  baptized  ;  and  thus  in  the  24th  question,   creation  is  ascribed   to 
the  Father,  redemption  to  the  Son,  and  sanctificatioH  to  the  Holy 
Ghost      It  ought  to  be  particularly  noted,  that  as  the   Father  is  the 
first  in  the  order  of  subsistence,  so  he  is  also  the  first  in  the  order  of 
working,  and  that  the    Father  therefore  undertook  to  display  in  his 
person  the  majesty  of  the  Ggdhead  tf  the  Trinity,  ^i  Xh»X  the  Son 


180  THE  CHRISTIAN'S  FAITH,  &e. 

submitted  ta  conceal  his  divinity  under  his  humanity  in  his  humilia- 
tion, i.nd  tiie  ■'  ;oIy  Ghost  consented  to  act  as  the  ambassadour  of  the 
FaUier  audofthe  Son.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  Fallier  is  more 
frequently  Cdlied  God  than  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  therefore 
the  i'atiier  is  considered  as  the  beginning  and  end  of  all  things,  as 
creation  and  all  that  pertaineth  to  it,  is  also  on  this  account  ascribed 
to  him  See  Rom.  xi.  36.  I  Cor.  viii.  6.  For  this  reason  also  the 
Son  is  the  mediator  and  the  servant  of  the  Father,  that  he  may  by 
rtdempt. on  bring  ihe  sinner  to  God,  Isaiah  xlix.  3.  1  Pet.  iii.  18. 
And  the  iioly  Ghost  conveys  the  great  work  of  the  Father,  and  of 
the  Son  to  lh«  sinner  by  an  effectual  application  and  sanctification. 
See  this  John  xviii.  13,  14,  15.  We  shall  see  the  csconomy  or  work 
oi  eacn  Person,  when  we  contemplaie  each  Person  in  particular. 

D.  Finally,  it  tends  to  explain  this  doctrine,  that  these  three  Per- 
sons are  one.  They  ane  not  one  in  the  same  respect,  in  which  they 
are  three,  as  if  three  persons  wei'e  one  person,  or  three  essences  one 
essence  ;  for  this  is  a  contradiction.  Neither  are  these  three  Persont> 
one  with  respect  to  generation  or  kind,  as  Peter,  John,  and  James 
are  of  one  r.uman  generation  or  kind  ;  for  they  would  then  have  each 
his  particular  essence,  and  there  would  then  be  three  divine  essences: 
neither  are  they  one  by  composition,  as  though  each  Person  were  a 
third  part  of  the  divine  essence  ;  for  this  is  contrary  to  the  simplicity 
of  th  •  divine  essence.  Finally,  we  may  not  say,  that  these  three  Per- 
sons are  one  only  in  will,  because  in  this  sense,  all  the  saints  may  be 
said  to  be  one  with  God  ;  but  they  are  one  in  essence,  inasmuch  as 
each  Person  iii  tti  his  peculiar  manner  of  subsistence  in  one  and  the 
same  simple  essence,  by  which  means  the  Persons  subsist  through, 
and  on  account  cf  the  essence,  in  each  other.  This  the  Saviour  de- 
clares, when  he  saith,  '  He  that  hath  seen  me,  hath  seen  the  Father  ; 
and  how  sayest  ihou  then,  Show  us  the  Father  ?  Believest  thou  not 
that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  me  ?  the  words  that  I 
speak  unto  you,  I  speak  notof  myself :  but  the  Father,  that  dwel- 
leth  in  me,  he  doth  the  works.  Believe  me  that  I  am  in  the  Father, 
and  the  Father  in  me,"  John  xiv.  9,  10,  11.  See  also  John  x. 
3D,  and  xvii.  31. 

It  v\  as  necessary  that  we  should  say  so  much  in  order  to  explain 
this  great  mystery  ;  but  we  must  also  prove  it,  that  our  minds  may 
be  established  in  the  belief  of  this  capital  article  of  the  divine  mys- 
teries, and  that  we  may  confute  the  Jews  and  the  Socinians,  who 
blaspheme  this  mystery  in  the  most  horrible  manner.  This  cannot 
be  done  by  the  light  of  reason,  as  the  schoolmen  and  others,  who  fol- 
low them,  pretend,  imagining  that  the   Father,  by   understanding 


VIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  2^,  25,  m 

•hifnself,  produced  a  living  image  of  himself  which  was  his  Son,  and 
that  the  Father  and  the  Son  by  lovinp;  themselves,  caused  a  love  to 
proceed  and  issue  from  themselves,  which  was  ihe  Holy  Ghost.  But 
what  likeness  hath  this  to  the  mystery  under  consideration  ?  and 
where  doih  the  word  of  God  speak  thus?  There  is  nothint>  iniicxte 
in  man,  no  not  in  his  state  of  mtegrity,  thas  can  induce  him  to  think 
of  a  plurality  of  divine  persons  ;  neither  will  a  contemplation  of  the 
created  universe  suggest  this  to  him.  (iod's  understanding  and 
loving  of  himself  are  not  personal  acts,  as  the  generation  of  the  '^^on, 
and  ti-c  proceeding  of  the  Holy  Ghost  are  ;  but  they  are  essential 
acts  of  God,  and  so  God  v/ould  not  thereby  produce  another  Person, 
but  another  essence.  Yea,  if  God's  understanding  and  loving  of  h  m- 
self  did  produce  a  Person,  the  Persons  mii;!it  be  infinitely  muUiplied, 
Gince  each  Person  unde:  stands  and  loves  himself,  and  the  other 
Persons. 

Neither  need  we  betake  ourselves,  in  order  to  prove  this  mystery 
of  the  Trinity,  to  the  tradition  and  authority  of  the  church,  as  the 
Papists  do,  that  they  may  accuse  the  scripture  of  imperfection.  The 
purified  trrJition  and  doctrine  of  the  church  can  indeed  propose  and 
illustiate  th;3  truth  to  us ;  but  her  authority  and  doctrine  cannot 
oblige  us  to  believe  it,  any  further  than  they  prove  it  to  us  from  the 
word  of  God  :  *'  That  our  faith  may  not  stand  in  the  wisdor  of 
men,  but  in  the  power  of  God."  1  Cor.  ii,  5.  '' Faith  come^h  by 
hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  word  of  God,"  Rom  x  17.  There- 
fore the  twenty-fifth  question  saith,  "  that  God  hath  revealed  himself 
thus  in  his  A\ord." 

And  verily  the  word  of  God  proves  this  truth  abundantly  ;  for  (a) 
God  speaks  in  his  word  of  liimself  in  the  plural  number  :  *<  God 
said,  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  Hkeness,"  Gen.  i.  26- 
This  we  find  also,  Gen.  iii.  22.  xi  7.  Isaiah  vi.  8.  We  cannot, 
say  that  God  speaks  here  of  the  angels,  since  man  was  riot  made  if; 
the  image  of  the  angels  ;  neither  may  we  say  that  God  speaks  here 
after  the  manner  of  kings,  who  say  in  their  behests,  "We"  com- 
mand this  or  that,  this  or  that  pleaseth  "  us ;"  for  this  is  a  later 
usage,  and  we  do  not  find  that  any  king  is  introduced  in  scripture 
speaking  in  this  mai.ner.(b)  We  also  find  that  one  Person  is  dis- 
tinguished from  jxnother,  as  God  and  Lord,  Psalm  xlv,  7.*  "  O  God, 
thy  God  hath  anointed  thee,"  Psalm  ex.  1.  "The  Lord  s;iid  unto 
iny  Lord."  This  silenced  the  unbelieving  Jews,  Matt.  xxii.  42—46. 
Many  cite  here  also  the  passi^ge,  Gen.    xix    24  (c)     Add   to   this, 

*  We  have  rendered  this  passage  according;  to  the  Datch  tvaTiolatior'. 


^,  TiiE  CHRISTIAN'S  FAITH,  &c. 

jhat  God  speaks  of  himself  as  three.  In  the  Old  testament  we  find, 
Isaiah  Ixi.  1,  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  me."  This  we 
:^ee  also  Psalm  xxxiii,  6.  Isaiah  Ixiii.  9.  10.  Kaggai  ii.  5,  6.  We 
shall  not  speak  now  of  the  priestly  blessing,  Num.  vi.  24,  25,26, 
nor  of  the  churches  reciting  the  name  of  the  Lord  three  several 
limes  in  her  celebration  of -him,  Isaiah  xxxiii.  22.  Attend  only  to 
Jsaiah  vi.  3,  where  God  is  celebrated  thrice  as  "  the  Holy  Lord. 
That  the  Father  alone  is  not  praised  there  as  holy  appears,  because 
more  than  one  person  is  spoken  of  in  that  passage  ;  "  Whom  shall 
I  seiuJ,  and  who  will  go  for  us  ?"  vrs.  8.  Therefore  John  also  saith, 
that  '  the  glory  of  Jesus  also  was  seen"  there,  John  xii.  41,  and 
Paul  applies  that  vision  to  the  Holy  Ghost  also,  Acts  xxviii,  25.  In 
the  New  Tcsiament  we  fmd  these  three  Persons  in  the  bgptism  of 
Christ,  Matt.  iii.  16,  17,  in  our  baptism,  Matt.,  xxviii.  19,  \y\  the  bles- 
sing of  Paul,  2  Cor.  xiii.  13.  And  that  these  three  are  one,  is  shown 
by  John,  2  John  v.  7.  Ail  these  passages  serve  to  prove  that  there 
dre  three  divine  Persons,  because  tliey  are  associated  in  them,  as 
participating  in  the  execution  of  some  divine  work.(d)  Finally,  the 
word  of  God  teacheth  us,  that  the  salvation  of  sinners  is  ascribed  un- 
togtlirec  Persons  ;  that  the  Son  saves  by  his  grace,  the  Father  by  his 
love,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  by  his  communion,  2  Cor.  xii,  13.  which 
the  three  Persons  also  seal  to  us  in  baptism.  Mat  xxviii,  and  believ- 
ers also  experience,  that  they  are  brought  by  the  Holy  Spirit  through 
the  Son  to  the  Father,  Eph.  ii.  18.  Therefore  our  Netherland  con- 
fession also  saith.  Article  9,  "  All  this  we  know,  as  well  from  the  tes- 
timonies of  holy  writ,  as  from  their  operations  ;  and  chiefly  by  those 
we  feel  in  ourselves."  Now  it  is  certain,  that  it 'is  a  divine  work  to 
save  sinners.  See  this,  Isaiah  xlv.  21 — 24.  Hqsea  i.  7,  Titus  iii. 
4.  Consequently  there  are  three,  who  are  God.  We  could  now  fur- 
thermore prove,  that  divine  names,  attributes,  works,  and  worship  are 
ascribed  to  the  Son  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  well  as  to  the  Father  : 
but  since  we  must  treat  formally  of  the  Godhead  of  the  Son  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  hereafter,  we  shall  therefore  defer  these  proofs  for 
the  present. 

In  order  to  form  now  a  conclusion  from  what  halh  been  said,  we 
know,  and  it  is  evident  of  itself,  that  there  is  only  one  God  ;  and 
since  we  have  now  proved  that  there  are  three,  who  are  God,  it  fol^ 
lows  that  these  three  are  the  one  God  in  essence,  agreeably  to  our 
explanation.  And  therefore  we  say  from  I  John  v.  7.  "  There  are 
three  that  bear  record  in  heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  ;.  ^lud  these  three  ^re  one."     The  brevity  of  our  method 


Vlll.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q,  24,  25.  iSf^ 

^vi!!  not  permit  lis  to    enlarge  here,  in  order  to  rescue  this  passage 
from  the  cavils  of  the  Socinians. 

II.  "  Since  there  is  but  one  divine  essence,  why  speakest  thou  of 
Father,  Son,  and  F!o!y  Ghost?"  thus  asks  the  instructor.  The 
force  of  this  objection  consists  herein,  that  three  cannot  be  one,  nor 
one  three.  But  we  satisfy  it  fully  by  sayinj^,  that  God  hath  revealed 
himself  as  three  and  one  in  his  word.  To  this  we  must  submit,  and 
brint^  our  thoughts,  which  cannot  fully  comprehend  it,  into  captivity. 
Should  it  be  said  that  there  cannot  be  any  contradictions  in  God, 
and  that  the  word  of  God  cannot  reveal  contradictions  ;  we  say,  that 
this  is  true,  and  that  there  are  no  contradictions  in  this  mystery,  as 
there  would  be,  if  God  were  one  and  three  in  the  same  respect  ; 
but  God  is  one  in  respect  of  his  essence,  and  in  another  respect,  to 
wit,  inrtRpect  of  his  Persons,  he  is  three ;  which  is  by  no  means  u 
contradiction. 

They  object  also,  John  xviii.  3.  "This  is  eternal  life,  to  know 
thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent." 
Hence,  say  they,  the  Father  alone  is  called  God,  and  the  only  God, 
and  therefore  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost  cannot  be  God.  We 
say,  the  Father  is  only,  that  is,  nothing  but  God,  ac  the  words  only 
and  alone  are  used.  See  Jer.  xxxii.  30  But  the  Son  is  sometbing- 
besides  God,  he  is  man  also  ;  and  therefore  we  must  connect  the 
word  *'  only"  with  "  God,"  and  not  with  "  thou." 

We  shall  not  attend  here  to  other  objections,  since  they  must  be 
referred  to  the  thirteenth,  and  to  the  twentieth  Lord's  days ;  oji 
which  we  must  prove  the  Godhead  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

But  there  are  still  two  things,  which  require  our  consideration  ;(a) 
First,  whether  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  be  a  fundamental  article 
of  the  faith,  upon  which  our  salvation  depends  ?  or  whether  it  be 
only  a  scholastic  question,  which  we  may  believe,  or  not  believe, 
without  injury  to  our  salvation  ?  This  is  the  opinion  of  the  Remon- 
strants, which  they  entertain  to  gratify  the  Socinians,  although  in 
other  respects  they  maintain  this  doctrine  :  but  we  reckon  this  to  be 
a  fundamental  doctrine  of  the  faith,  upon  which  our  everlasting  life 
depends,  according  to  John  xvii.  3.  It  is  the  first  principle  of  Christ- 
ianity, which  is  proposed  before  all  others  to  those  who  arc  to  be 
baptised,  as  the  foundation  of  their  salvation,  and  which  they  are 
obliged  to  believe.  If  we  believe  not  this  doctrine,  we  deny  then 
other  fundamental  articles  also,  as  the  union  of  the  two  natures  in 
Christ,  his  satisfaction  and  eff'-'ctual  ^rae^.  as  oppears  in  the  So- 
cinians, 


YMh  THE  CHRISTIAN'S  FAITH,  &r. 

(b)  Tlie  second  subject  of  consUteration  is,  whether  this  docinDC 
be  adv.nta?;eous  and  necessary  to  godliness.  The  Remonstrants 
deny  this  also:  but  we  say  tiiere  is  no  real  godliness*  which  flows 
ao:  fiom  the  ?rrace  of  the  Soa,  from  the  love  of  the  Father,  and  the 
COfnnHinioo  oi  uhe  Holy  Ghos  ;  for  why  else  doth  the  apostle  so 
tuBT&tlv  dcsi  e  these  blessings  for  believers  r  3  Cor.  adlL  IS.  The 
power  of  gc^l^ne-s  consiss  [>articularly  in  exercising  communioc 
"Wit  Jrod,  in  being  dead  to  ^il  besides,  and  m  havin-'  "  our  life  hidden 
-wiia  Carist  in  Grod,'"  Coll.  ii:.  5.  Now  this  godliness  cannot  be  ex- 
ercised, except  ibrougb  the  on  and  the  Koly  Ghost,  '*  by  whom  wc 
iave  accrsstothe  Father,**  Eph-  ii.  IS.  And  what  is  the  Socinian 
<yodliness.  which  denies  this  mystery,  but  a  heathenish  morality  ? 

in.  But  how  do  we  believe  m  the  Triune  God  I  for  this  we  pro- 
fszss  wftrn  we  say,  *•  I  believe  in  God  the  Father,  and  in  his  Son 
Jevas  i_hnct ;  1  believe  m  the  Holy  Gh-5t."  Therefore  Christ  also 
said.  John  xiv.  I,  *-  Yc  believe  in  God.  believe  also  in  me."  Accor- 
ding to  our  explanation  of  tie  nature  of  faith  on  the  foregoing  Lord's 
<^v  th.3  laitn  ia  the  Triune  God  will  consist,  (a)  in  the  knowledge 
of  ira  ^  1  nunc,  according  to  th^  word  of  God  ;  see  John  xvii.  3.(b> 
In  an  assest  to  the  witness  of  God  concerning  himself  ;n  his  word. 
as  i  riune,  oltjough  ive  cannot  fathom  the  mystery  vdth  our  senses 
or  r«jasoa ;  and  thus.  **  faith  is  an  evidence  of  the  things  which  are  not 
seen."  Heb.  xi.  l.^c)  In  erab'-icing  and  trusting-  in  the  Persons, 
'nritr.  respect  to  t'leir  saving  disper.sations  and  works,  as  the  apostle 
;equ.rcih,  -  Cor.  siii.  13,  that  believers  s'jdiIc*  place  all  their  salrr>- 
tioo  in  this  ocly . 


/vPPLICATION. 

Although  these  several  particula  s  are  truths,  which  none  who 
*re  of  cur  co-nrauatoa  will  deny,  and  although  they  are  also  of  the 
grc*«tc5t  importance,  it  is  nevertheless  plain,  that  they  cither  are  not. 
or  are  scarcely  believed.     For, 

1  Ye  certainly  do  not  believe  tbem.  who  have  not  any  knowledge 
of  them  ;  for  a  person  cannot  believe  without  knowledge.  Ye  will 
kaow  all  things,  bu.  do  no:  endeavour  to  know  God  :  ye  never  re- 
tire "mto  your  minds,  nor  attempt  to  search  the  word  of  God,  and 
seriously  learn  what  -iod  hath  revealed  concerning  himself. 
Woul<^  ye  be  able  to  offer  a  single  proof  for  yourselves,  or  others, 
tbat  there  is   a  God  ?  cr  even   to  declare  what   or  who  be  is  ?  yr 


Vni.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  24,  2r  M- 

;grope  here  Ifike  the  blind,  and  stumble  as  these  who  ivalk  in  <iark- 
ness.  Your  underbtandi.g  is  darkened,  and  ye  are  alisr^.ttd  from  the 
life  of  God,  through  the  ignoraDce  tha  is  in  ycu."  EpL.  iv.  is.  Do 
ye  worship  him,  it  is  but  ••  an  unknown  God  whom  ye  rrorsrip," 
A<ts  xvii.  23.  What  a  horrid  state  is  this  1  It  is  the  black  mark  cf 
the  i.eathens,  that  *^  ihey  know  not  God,"  Gal.  iv.  8.  1  Thess.  iv.  5, 
and  they  are  not  excusable,  because  God  hath  revealed  himself  to 
them  m  their  minds,  and  in  rhe  creatures,  Rom.  i.  19,  20.  But  that 
a  p>ers©n.  who  lives  under  l  e  gospel,  to  Trhcm  God  discovers  him- 
self in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  should  not  know  God,  this  is  :.bomi* 
nabie,  a  diabolical  Ji'=posiMon,  and  a  palpable  evidence  of  your  un- 
done condition  :  -  for  if  our  gospel  be  hid,  it  is  hid  to  them  that  are 
lost :  in  whom  the  God  of  this  world  hath  blinded  tr.e  minds  of  th-enrt 
which  believe  not,  lest  tue  light  of  tht  g-Jorious  gospel  of  Christ,  who 
is  the  image  of  Cod,  should  shine  unto  them,"  2  Cor.  iv.  3,  4.  B^ 
concerned  on  account  of  this,  an-i  be  ashamed  :  th'-s  Paul  re- 
quireth,  1  Cor.  xv.  3-i  ••  Some  have  not  the  knowledge  cf  God :  I 
speak  this  to  your  shame." 

2.  It  is  certain,  that  we  have  the  greatest  concern  in  ihe  Lord 
God,  and  that  '•  we  have  to  do  with  him,  before  whose  eyes  all  things 
are  naked,  and  opened,'  Heb,  iv.  13.  Every  one  is  of,  by,  to,  and 
for  him.  If  ye  believed  this,  would  ye  not  regard  it  ?  would  not  his 
oninipresence  and  omniscience  render  you  circumsp^-  ct  ?  wculd  net 
his  truth  induce  you  to  believe  ?  his  goodness  to  seek  and  love  him : 
his  allsufficiency  satisfy  you,  and  persuade  you  to  exert  all  your 
faculties  in  his  service  r  certainly  yes.  It  is  then  surely  cTident, 
that  ye  do  not  belie-  e  in  God  :  ibr  "  ye  do  not  regard  him,  scd  do 
not  fear  him,  Isaiah  Ivii.  il.  He  is  not  the  on'y  object  cf  Ul  your 
actions  :  but  the  things  that  ye  see,  your  money  and  ^ood?^,  aftsr 
these  things  j^e  pant  and  long  with  eager  dcssres.  and  ccmmii  idola- 
try with  them,  Eph.  v.  5.  Coll.  iii.  5.  Ye  are  proud  and  hau.t^ity  oTi 
account  of  them.  Job  xxxi.  2-;.  Are  they  taken  from  you,  it  is  as 
though  your  Gods,  your  all  were  taken  from  you,  Judges  xviii.  24. 
Or  ye  take  your  fill  of  pleasure,  and  make  **  your  belJy  ycur  God," 
Philip,  iii-  19.  Yea,  "ye  set  your  hearts  as  Gods  heart,"  Ijie  the 
prince  of  Tyre.  Ezek.  xxviii  2 — 5.  Ye  imagine  that  ye  are  great 
ooes,  and  make  yourselves  the  only  objects  of  all  your  ccticns;  and 
set  yourselves  thus  in  the  room  of  God,  and,  as  much  as  in  you  licth, 
thmst  him  from  his  throne.  And  ye  show  thus  that  ye  have  chosen 
**  the  God  of  this  world  "  for  your  God,  **  walking  according  to  the 
prince  of  ihe  power  of  the  air.  the  spirit  that  now  -^orkcth  ir.  the 
children  cf  disobedience,  fulfilling  the  desires  nf  the  flesh  and  of  the^ 


1^6  itit  CHRISTIAN'S  FAITH,  m 

mind,"  Eph.  ii.  2,  3.  Alas  !  how  far  have  ye  departed  from  Cod! 
how  do  ye  come  short  of  his  glory,  how  are  ye  become  as  it  were 
inonsters  !  and  walk  in  the  way  to  destruction  I  and  how  will  God 
once  avenge  himself  of  you  ! 

3.  It  is  true,  many  have  stilf  a  certain  sense  of  God,  and  of  their 
obligation  to  hin^  yea,  so  far,  that  they  have  a  lively  conscience, 
which  coiivinceth  them  of  their  (iuty,  reproves  them  for  their  evil 
conduct,  and  excites  in  them  a  fear  of  avenging  punishment.  But 
do  ye  encourage  and  stir  up  your  conscience,  in  order  that  k  may 
lead  you  to  repentance  ?  or  do  y-e  endeavour  to  silence  it,  and  to 
thwart  it,  by  seeking  to  stifle  it  ?  Alas  !  how  many  are  there,  who 
cannot  endure  the  twinges  of  their  conscience  !  they  rush  headlong 
against  warnings,  and  '*  suppress  the  truth  in  unrighteousness,"  Rom. 
i.  18.  Yea,  many  wil!  seek  for  reasons  to  persuade  themselves  "  that 
there  is  no  God,"  Psalm  xiv.  1,  that  they  may  break  the  yoke  and 
burst  the  bonds :  and  they  show  that  they  are  children  of  Bel'al* 
without  yoke,  and  that  they  are  like  "  an  unruly  heifer,"  Jer.  v.  5. 
Hosea  iv.  16.  And  hence  the  Lord  God  will  sometimes  "  give  such 
persons  up  to  a  reprobate  mind,"  to  the  most  dreadful  atheism,  and 
*'  to  ('o  those  things  that  are  not  convenient,"  Rom.  i.  28  Our  own 
days  show  to  what  a  dreadful  ungodhnt-ss  a  person  may  be  abandon- 
ed, when  we  observe  so  many  Spinozists,  Bekkerists,  Leenhofists, 
Hattemists,  Brillists,  and  others,  who  have  settled  in  whole  swarms 
here  and  there,  and  conceal  themselves  under  the  names  of  God, 
Christ,  the  Word,  Patience,  Selfdenial,  but  all  in  the  Spirit,  that  is., 
accordint;^  to  the  real  opinion  af  those  Libertines,  all  things  are  God. 
and  the  creatures  are  different  modifications  of  that  God.  Doth  any 
one  desire  to  see  this  mystery  of  iniquity  unfolded,  let  him  read,  I. 
Calvins  instruction  a^rainst  the  Libertines,  and  their  agreement  wi.h 
the  modern  Libertines  by  C   Tuinman. 

4.  Perhaps  ye  may  think,  all  this,  doth  not  concern  us,  for  we 
know  Gofl :  we  could  prove  by  passages  from  the  word  of  God  that 
he  exists,  auvl  show  what  and  who  he  is,  and  we  endeavour  to  live 
according  to  our  knowledge,  by  forsaking  evil,  and  doing  good.  It 
is  well ;. but  doth  your  knowledge  warm  your  hearts,  unite  you  to 
God  and  Christ  ?  and  are  your  works  "done  in  God,"  as  the  Lord 
Jesus  saith  ?  John  iii.  21.  But  how  few  are  there,  who  know  God 
thus  ?  tht  re  are  many  who  have  not  been  taught  so  by  God  ;  they 
have  only  a  Hteral  knowledge  of  the  word,  which  leaves  their  souls 
alienated  from  God,  and  doih  not  influence  and  urge  them  to  do  all 
things  in  union  v;ith  the  Tritm«  God-    Their  knowledge  puffs  them 


Vni.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  2.4,  35.  tSf 

i:p,  and  "  their  zeal  for  God  is  not  according  to  knowledge,  leading 
them  to  establish  their  own  righteousness,"  Rom.  x*.  2,  3. 

Whoever  ye  are,  apply  your  hea\ti>  to  this,  and  see  whether  ye 
be  not  in  one  or  other  respect  thus  disposed.  And  is  it  still  tLus  with 
you  ?  hear  then  what  God  saith  to  you,  Titus  i.  16.  "They  profess 
that  they  know  God  ;  but  in  works  they  deny  hirn,  being;  abomina- 
ble, and  disobedient,  and  unto  every  good  work  reprobate,"  hph.  ii. 
12.  «  Without  Christ,  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel, 
strangers  from  the  covenants  of  promise,  having  no  hope,  and  with- 
out God  in  the  worlci."  Know  that  each  Person  will  employ  his 
wisdom,  will,  pov/er  and  work  to  destroy  you  :  the  Father  is  your 
*<  righteous  judge,  and  a  God  who  is  angry  every  day,"  Psalm  vii, 
1 1.  The  Son  "  will  not  pardon  your  transfrres^inns  ;  for  the  name  of 
God  is  m  him,"  Exod  xxiii.  21.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  "  tcrnc^d  to  be 
yoer  enemy,"  Isaiah  Ixiii.  10.  ''  Can  your  hrart  then  enduie,  or  your 
hands  be  strong  in  the  day  when  God  shall  deal  with  you?"  Eztk. 
xxii.  14.  Hear  what  he  saith,  Isaiah  xlvii.  3.  '' I  will  take  ven- 
geance, and  I  will  not  meet  thee  as  a  man." 

Therefore  be  concerned  and  solicitous  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come.  Regard  God  and  his  favour  more  ;  the  Lord  is  yet  willing 
to  become  your  God,  and  offers  you  for  that  purpose  his  free  grace. 
Therefore  refuse  not,  accept  of  it,  and  lay  hold  on  his  Son,  that  ye 
may  be  hidden  from  his  indignation.  Behold,  now  is  the  accepted 
time,  the  day  of  salvation  :  *'  To  day  then  if  ye  will  hear  his  voice, 
harden  not  your  hearts,"  Psalm  xcv-  7.  8.  Isaiah  Iv.  €,  7. 

But  ye,  who  know  God,  yea,  rather  are  known  of  him,  who  hath 
also  given  you  an  understanding,  that  ye  should  know  him  who  is 
true,  conduct  by  ^11  means  worthily  of  this  allworthy  Lord,  and 
therefore, 

1.  Believe  with  a  strong  faith,  and  impress  it  deeply  on  your 
minds,  that  he  is,  and  especially  that  he  is  infinitely  perfect,  and  Tri- 
une, and  that  ye  have  to  do  with  him  :  "  He  who  cometh  to  God 
must  beheve  that  he  is,  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  dili-j 
gently  seek  him,"  Heb.  xi.  6.  Ye  have  as  many  proofs  of  this  within 
and  without  you,  as  of  any  other  thing  in  the  world,  and  more  :  yfr 
need  only  attend,  and  the  Lord  God  will  "  beset  you  behind  and  be- 
fore, and  lay  his  hand  upon  you,"  Psalm  cxxxix.  5.  Doth  Satan  as- 
sault you  with  wicked  injections  and  fiery  darts,  maintain  a  compo- 
sed mind,  and  suffer  them  not  to  disturb  you  too  much,  yea,  do  not 
argue  against  them,  in  order  to  refute  them,  but  repel  them  from 
you,  as  ye  would  shake  fire  from  your  clothes,  that  the  enemy  may 
^  discouraged,  wheu  he  perceives  that  ye  do  hot  greatly  regard  his 


«te  I'ftE  CimiSTIAN'S  FAITH,  &c 

assaults.  Do  not  endeavonr  neither  to  penetrate  with  your  undciw 
standing  too  far  into  tins  mystery,  but  believe  it  solely  upon  the  testi- 
mony of  God  ;  the  first  apprehensions  which  we  form  of  God  are 
generally  the  purest;  but  when  we  will  find  out  the  Almighty  to 
perfection,  we  then  become  dull  and  perplexed  :  eveiy  one  must 
•confess  here  "  that  he  is  more  brutish  than  any  man,  and  that  he 
hath  not  the  understanding  of  a  m^m,  that  he  hath  neither  learned 
wisdom,  nor  hath  the  knowledge  of  the  holy,"  Prov-  xxx.  2,  3.  See 
also  2  (or.  X.  f*. 

2.  Let  the  Lord  God  also  be  the  object  of  all  your  observances  ~ 
for  he  is  the  most  worthy  object,  in  whom  the  reasonable  creature 
can  obtain  complete  satisfaction  in  all  that  he  doth.  Therefore  cotw 
template  him  alone  in  his  excellencies,  **  beholding  as  in  a  glass,  with 
open  face,  the  gloiy  of  the  Lord,"  2  Cor.  iii.  18.  "  Let  your  medita- 
tion of  him  be  sweet,"  Psalm  civ.  34.  "  Let  him  be  yoi'r  fear  and 
dre  d,"  Isaiah  viii.  13,  the  object  of  your  faith,  hope  and  love,  1 
Thess.  i.  3,  of  your  joy,  Phil.  iv.  4,  praise,  Neh.  ix.  5,  service,  Psalm 
ii.  11,  aims,  1  Cor.  x.  31,  and  imitation,  Eph.  v.  1.  I  Peter  i    15,  16. 

3.  Prais'j  and  glorify  the  Triune  God  on  account  of  his  wonderful 
counsel  of  grace  r    O  that  noble  device,  so  wisely  contrived  and  ex- 
ecuted, to  save  sinners  by  a  crucified  Mediator,  to  the  glory  of  the 
divine  justice  and  mercy  1  "  angels  desire  to  look  into  these  things," 
!  Peter  i.  1 1.     How  do  they  praise  the  Lord  on  account  of  them  l 
Luke  ii.  13,  14.     That  the  Lord  may  be  glorified   for  them  by  an- 
gels and  men,  "the  church  must  make  known  to  the  principalities 
and  powers  in  heavenly  places,  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God,  accord- 
ing to  his  eternal  purpose,  which  he  purposed  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord,"  Eph.  iii    lo>   1  L      Here  we  "  acknowledge  the  breadth   and 
length,  and  de;th,  and  heighth  of  the  love  of  Christ,  which   passeth 
knowledge,  and  are  filled  with   all  the  fulness  of  God,"  Eph.  iii.  18, 
19.     All  God's  works  praise  him,  but  in  this  way  all  his    praisewor- 
thy glory  appears,  as  it  were,  united.     The  creature  loses  himself, 
when  he  is  led   into  it,  and  must  cry  out   enraptured,  "  O  the  depth 
of  the  riches,  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  ^of  God  I  how  un- 
searchable his  judgments,  and  his  ways  past  finding  out !  for  of  him, 
and  through  him,  and  to  him,  are  all  things  ;  to  whom  be   glory  for 
ever.  Amen,"  Rom.  xi-  33 — 36. 

4.  Lay  the  v/hole  burthen  of  your  salvation  upon  the  divine  Trin- 
ity, committing  the  accomplishment  of  it  entirely  to  the  Triune  God  • 
'^  For  God  is  able  to  make  all  grace  abound  toward  you  ;  that  ye  at- 
ways  liaving  all-sufficiency  m  all  things,  may  abound  in  every  good 
^ork,"  2  Cor.  ix.  8.     Each  Person  in  the  divine   essence   hath   en^ 


VIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  ^4,  25.  t^ 

gaged  to  effect  your  salvation  through  grace,  love,  and  coTnmunion> 
and  will  confirm  it:  "  The  Father  will  perfect  it  for  you,  his  merer 
endureth  for  ever  ;  he  will  not  forsake  the  works  of  his  hands  *' 
Psalm  cxxxviii.  8,  The  Son  will  "daily  load  you  with  benefits - 
for  this  God  is  our  salvation,  Selah,  this  God  is  a  God  of  perfect  sal- 
vation to  us  ;  and  to  God  the  Lord  belong  the  issues  from  death," 
JPsalm  Ixviii.  19,  2o.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  "our  God  for  ever  and 
ever;  he  will  be  our  guide  even  uuto  death,"  Psalm  xlviii.  U.  Rev„ 
xiv.  13,  For  these  reasons  we  ought  to  deny  all  our  own  works 
devices,  and  contrivances,  with  respect  to  this  matter,  to  cast  all 
our  care  upon  him,  and  ucpend  in  a  hojy  manner  on  him,  Psalm 
xxxviii.  5. 

5.  Improve  each  Person  distinctly  with  respect  to  his  special  work 
of  grace.     Do  ye  need  justification,  and  all  that   pertains   to   it,   let 
tlie  love  of  the  Father  be  your  refuge.     Do  ye  find  yourselves  empty 
and  destitute  of  necessary  grace,  betake  yourselves  to  the  Son  ;  for 
'^^  of  his  fulness  we  all  receive,  and  grace  for  grace,"  John  i.  16.    Do 
ye  perceive  that  ye  are    estranged  from  the  Lord,  have  recourse  to 
the  fioly  Spirit,  whose  proper  work  it  is  to  introduce  to  communion 
with  God,  by  teaching  the  soul,  by  leading,  and  bringing   her  to 
God,  and  by  comforting  her  ;  but  beware  of  ending  or  resting  in  the 
Son  or  Holy  Spirit,  but  end  and  rest  through    them  in  the  Father ; 
for  »'  by  the  Son  we  have  an  access  through  the  Spirit   unto  the  Fa* 
ther,"  Eph.  ii.  8.     That  we   may  receive  all   things  again   of  the 
Father  through  the  Son  and  Holy  Ghost ;  therefore  the  Lord  Jesus 
^aid,  xvi.  13,  14,  15.     «•  The  Spirit  of  truth  will  guide  you  into  all 
truth  ;  for  he  shall  not  speak  of  himself ;  but  whatsoever  he  shall 
hear,  that  shall  he  speak  ;  and  he   will  show  you   things   to  come- 
He  shall  glorify  me  ;    for  he  shall  receive  of  mine,  and  show  it  unto 
you.     All  things  that  the  Father  hath   are  mine  ;   therefore  said  I, 
he  shall  take  of  mine,  and  show  it  unto  you/'  See  also  John  xiv.   16. 
6    Live  and  converse  much  in  union  and  com.munion  with  the 
divine  Trinity,  "  that  your  fellowship  may  be  with  the  Father,  and 
with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,"   1  John  i.  3.     This   was  the  petition  of 
the  Son  for  you  to  the  Father,  John  xvii.  21.     Therefore  it  behooves 
you  to  present  the  Lord  before  your  eyes,  and  to  "  set  him  always 
before  you,"  Psalm,  xvi.  8,  "  to  follow  hard  after  him,"   Psalm  Ixiii. 
8,  to  "  be  near  him,  and  to  draw  nigh  to  him,"  Psalm  Ixxiii.  28.  James 
iv.  8,  yea,  "to  walk"  and  converse  "with  him,  and   before   him," 
Gen.  V  22,  24,  27.  ^ 

7.  Be  also,  according  to  this  great  pattern,  most  closely  united  to 
one  ^other^  and  exercise   frequently,  tbft  communion  of  saints. 


n%^  THE  CHRISTIAN'S  FAITH,  &c. 

Howgreatjy  did  it  redound  to  the  glory  of  the  first  Christian*,  th^t. 
^  the  muliitutie  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one  heart,  and  of  one 
soul,"  Acts  iv.  32.  We  must  "  all  be  one  in  the  Father  and  in  the 
Son,  as  the  Father  in  the  Son,  and  the  Son  in  the  Father,  are  one,** 
John  xvii  21.  "Be  like-minded,  have  the  same  love,  being  of  ene 
accord,  of  one  mind,"  Philip,  li.  2  1  Cor.  i.  10.  "  The  Lord  hath 
given  you  all  one  heart  and  one  way,  that  ye  may  fear  him,"  Jer. 
xxxii.  39.  '*  Therefore  endeavour  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in 
the  bond  of  peace.  There  is  one  body  and  one  Spirit,  even  as  ye 
are  called  in  one  hope  of  your  calling  One  Lord,  one  fuith,  and 
one  baptism.  One  God  and  Fatner  of  all,  who  is  above  all,  and 
through  all,  and  in  you  all,"  Eph.  iv.  3 — 6. 

8.  Behold  now  albo  your  great  portion  and  possession,  since  this 
infinitely  glorious  God  is  yours.  By  your  entrance  into  the  proffered 
covenant  of  ^:race,  "  ye  have  avouched  the  Lord  to  be  your  God,'* 
Deut.  xxvt  17  How  great  thep  is  your  portion  !  yea,  the  Lord 
cannot  bestow  aught  upon  you  greater  or  worthier  than  himself;  ye 
may  indeed  challenge  the  world  to  show  you  a  portion  beiter  thian 
yours.  See  Deut.  xxxii.  31.  Jer.  x.  Yea,  all  that  the  Lord  hath  is 
also  yours,  1  Cor.  ii.  21,  52,  23.  Doth  it  not  please  him  to  com- 
municate much  f  himself  to  you  at  present,  ye  will  hereafter  be  so 
much  the  more  filled  and  satisfied  with  bim  :  for  according  to  Psalm 
xvii.  15.  "Ye  shall  behold  his  face  in  righteousness:  ye  plmll  hjf 
^tisfied,  when  ye  avrake,  with  hi^  likeiiess,',  Awe.»i 


(im 


FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  FATHER 


IX,  LORD'S  DAY. 


Psalm  cKlvi.  5,  6.  Happy  is  he  that  hath  the  God  of  Jacob  for 
his  help,  whose  hope  is  in  the  Lord  his  God  ;  which  made  heaven 
and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  therein  is  :  which  keepeth  truth 
for  ever, 

Q»  26.  What  bdievest  thouytohen  thou  my  est,  ^^  I  believe  in  God 
the  Father^  Almighty  Mtiker  of  heaven  and  earth?** 

A.  That  the  eternal  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  (who  'of 
nothing  made  heaven  and  earth,  with  ail  that  in  them  is  ;  who  like- 
wise upholds  and  governs  the  same  by  his  eternal  counsel  and  pro- 
vidence,) is  for  the  sake  of  Christ  his  Son,  my  God,  and  my  Father; 
on  whom  1  rely  so  entirely,  that  1  have  no  doubt  but  he  will  provide 
me  with  all  thinc^s  necessary  for  soul  and  body  :  and  further,  that  he 
will  make  whatever  evils  he  sends  upon  me,  in  this  valley  of  tears, 
turn  out  to  my  advantaire  ;  for  he  is  able  to  do  it,  being  Almighty 
God,  and  willing  ;  being  a  faithful  Father. 


G 


OD,  the  Lord,  willing  to  reveal  himself  unto  Moses,  as  far  as 
his  capacity  would  admit,  promiseth  him  that  "  he  should  see  his  back- 
parts,"  Exod.  xxxiii.  23.  Moses  had  prayed  to  the  Lord  to  '*  show 
him  his  glory,"  vrs.  18,  wishing  to  see  his  face  in  a  posture  in  which 
his  fore-parts  were  toward  him  ;  but  the  Lord  informs  him  that  na 
mortal  was  capable  of  seeing  him  thus,  ^'  Thou  canst  not  see  my 
face  ;  for  there  shall  no  man  see  me  and  live  ;  my  face  shall  not  be 
seen,"  vrs.  23.  The  Lord  was  nevertheless  too  kind  to  deny  him 
his  request  altogether,  but  granted  it  fully,  when  he  said,  "  Tbou 


lV2  -?AITH  IN  GOD  THE  FATHETt.      ^ 

«halt  see  my  back-parts."  The  Lord  God,  being  a  spirit,  hathliS'iv 
ther  fore-parts  nor  back-parts  :  but  this  is  a  figurative  manner  df 
speaking,  taken  from  men,  whom  we  behold  in  a  posture  in  which 
their  back-parts  are  toward  US|  and  thus  know  imperfectly,  by  theif 
ierect  and  well  formed  bodies,  their  shape  and  ordinary  gait.  Thu« 
also  the  Lord  God,  who  is  one  in  essence  and  three  in  Persons,  can- 
not be  seen  in  a  posture  wherein  his  fore-parts  are  toward  us,  and 
face  to  face,  but  is  perceived  in  a  posture  wherein  his  back-parts  are 
to'vard  us.  But  what  are  the  back-parts  of  the  Lord  ?  in  the  first 
place,  the  divine  virtues  and  perfections,  which  Moses  saw,  "  when 
the  Lord  passed  by  before  him,  and  proclaimed,  the  Lord,  the  Lord 
God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long-suffering,  and  abundant  in  good- 
ness and  truth,"  &;c.  Exod  xxxiv,  6.  And  also  the  works  of  the 
Lord  which  are,  as  it  were,  his  gait,  and  goings,  particularly  in  the 
sanctuary,  Psalm  Ixviii.  24.  The  Lord  reveals  himself  by  his  works 
evtn  to  the  heathens :  "  For  his  invisible  things  from  the  creation  of 
the  world  are  clearly  seen,  being  understood  by  the  things  thai  are 
made,  even  his  eternal  power  and  Godhead,"  Rom.  i.  20  This  was 
sufficient  indeed  to  render  them  inexcusable,  but  it  could  not  con- 
duct them  to  salvation  :  it  taught  them  indeed  the  eternal  power  and 
godhead  of  God,  but  not  the  manner  in  which  the  sinner  must  be 
reconcilcv!  to  him  :  God  is  not  only  one  in  essence,  but  also  three 
ID  Persons  :  we  must  also  know  him  as  such,  if  we  shall  be  saved  ; 
^<  This  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee  the  only  true  God, 
and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent,"  sai;.h  the  Saviour,  John  xvii, 
S.  But  who  is  able  to  behold  this  in  a  posture  in  which  the  fore-parts 
of  it  are  toward  him  ?  no  mortal ;  he  becomes  blind,  when  he  gazes  at 
this  sun  :  he  must  therefore  endeavour  to  survey  this  God  in  a  pos- 
ture wherein  his  back-parts  are  toward  him,  to  wit,  in  the  saving 
operations  of  the  three  Per  :ons.  It  hath  indeed  seemed  good  to  the 
divine  Persons  to  contrive  unitedly  a  council  of  grace,  and  that 
each  Person  should  contribute  his  part,  in  order  to  effect  the  salva- 
tion of  tliC  sinner :  the  Father  should  love  the  sinner  with  a  raving 
love,  the  Son  should  purchase  grace,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  should  re^n- 
dcr  the  sinner  a  partaker  of  the  love  of  the  Father,  and  the  grace  of 
the  Son.  This  Paul  teacheth  us,  2  Cor.  xiii.  13.  Therefore  the 
catechism  proposing  to  exhibit  God  to  us  as  Triune,  discovers  him  to 
us  in  a  posture,  wherein  his  back-parts  are  toward  us,  to  wit,  by  his 
works  in  the  division  of  the  articles  of  the  creed,  speaking  in  the. 
eighth  Lord's  day,  of  God  the  Father  and  our  creation,  of  God  the 
Son  and  our  redemption,  and  of  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  our  sancti- 
'  ficatirtn.     This  bumg  thira  briefly  proposed,  each  Person  is  exhibited 


iX.  LORD^S  DAY,  Q.  26.  1$3 

to  us  "vvith  respect  to  his  particular  works  in  order.  Since  now  the 
Fatiier  is  the  first  in  the  order  of  subsistence  and  working,  therefore 
fuith  in  God  the  Father,  Ahiiighty  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth,  is 
first  treated  of. 

Two  particulars  require  our  further  consideration  here  ; 

I.  The  object  of  the  Christian's  regard,  "God  the  Father,  Al- 
mighty Maker  of  heaven  and  earth," 

II.  The  Christian's  believing  exercise  relative  to  that  object, 
"  I  believe." 

I.  When  mention  is  made  here  of  God  the  Father,  Almighty  Ma» 
ker,  Sec.  it  is  evidtnt,  that  this  relates  not  to  God  considered  essen^ 
tially,  but  personally,  and  indeed  to  the  first  Person,  whose  personal 
property  it  is,  that  he  is  the  Father,  as  will  appear  more  fully  here- 
after ;  and  therefore  he  is  distinguished  here  from  the  Son,  the  Re- 
deemer, and  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Sanctifier.  Wherefore  wx 
shall  inquire,  1,  why  he  is  called  "  God,"  2,  why  <^  Father,"  and  3, 
why  «'  Almighty  Makei;." 

It  is  known  that  the -Father  is  called  God  more  frequently 
than  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  see  this  John  xvii.  3.  "  Thi& 
is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  thee  the  only  true  God,  and  Je- 
sus Christ  whom  thou  hast  sent."  See  also  Rom.  iii.  25.  1  Cor. 
xiii.  13.  Gal.  iv.  6.  TUls  is  a  stone  of  stumbHng,  and  a  rock  of 
offence  to  the  Socinians,  as  though  the  Father  were  God  rather  than 
the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  while  nevertheless  the  Son  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  are  God  coessential  with  the  Father.  But  this  mystery 
contains  another,  to  wit,  that  the  Father,  according  to  the  distribution 
of  the  work  of  grace  among  the  divine  Persons,  undertook  to  display 
in  his  Person  the  majesty  of  the  Godhead,  and  to  reveal  it  in  its 
glory,  as  the  Son  undertook  to  make  himself  of  no  reputation,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost  to  act  as  the  ambassadour  of  the  P'ather  and  of 
the  Son.  See  John  vi.  13,  14,  15.  For  this  reason  he  is  to  be  con-- 
aidered  as  the  first  cause  of  all  things  :  "  We  have  but  one  God, 
the  Father,  of  whom  are  all  things,"  1  Cor.  viii.  6,  as  the  all-suffi- 
cient, *'  who  is  able  to  make  all  grace  abound,"  2  Cor.  ix.  8,  whose 
also  the  wisdom,  to  contrive  a  way  of  reconciliation,  1  Cor.  i.  24, 
the  holiness  to  reveal  it  in  purity,  to  the  salvation  of  sinners,  JohA 
xvii.  11,  the  justice  to  avenge  himself  of  sin,  and  to  forgive  it,  Rom. 
iii*  25,  26,  the  love  for  the  manifestation  of  all  grace,  2  Cor.  xiii.  13. 
Yea,  the  Father  is  considered  as  the  end,  to  whose  praise  we  must 
refer  the  whole  work  of  grace,  Rom.  xi.  33  —36.  Therefore  the 
favoured  people  of  God  mwst  not  end  in  the  Son  and  Holy  Ghost; 
Vit  must,  through  th^m  end  in  the  Father,  with  all  their  esercisef 

Ec 


\n  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  FATHER. 

of  faiih,  love,  hope,  fear,  and  praise,  Eph.  ii.  13.  1  Peter  i.  12.  Co|. 
iii.  17.  And  when  the  saivation  of  the  sinner  shall  be  completed, 
"then  shall  the  ^on  deliver  up  the  king  .om  unto  God,  evtin  the  Fa- 
ther, and  be  subject  to  him,  who  put  ail  things  under  him,"  1  Cor, 
XV.  24,  28.. 

Consi  lering  all  these  particulars,  we  are  naturally  led  to  the  con- 
tem^)lat!oii  of  tlie  ceconomical  dispensation  of  grace  appertauiing  to 
tile  rather. 

1.  First  with  respect  to  the  eternal  co'msel  of  peace,  which  we 
also  ca.i  a  to've'-saiit  of  redemption,  because  the  redemption  of  the 
sinner  was  contrived  in  it.  1  his  covci^ant  of  redemption  is  the  dis- 
pLTis  '.ioii  o[  the  Father,  and'it  is  ascribed  to  bis  <'  manifold  wisdom^ 
according  to  the  eternal  purpose,  which  he  purposed  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord,"  I'ph.  iii.  I!.  Iheiein  he  appointed  his  Son  to  be  a 
surety,  and  delivered  the  elect  to  him,  that  he  might  redeem  them, 
JtT.  XXX.  21.  John  xvii.  6. 

2.  Furiher  creation  is  also  the  work  of  the  Father,  as  the  mean 
of  executing  his  counsel' :  for  it  w  as  necessary  that  he  should  pro- 
duce the  elect  into  being,  if  he  should  render  them  partakers  of  his 
grace,  "te  Tsaiiih  xlv.  17,  18.  Eph.  iii.  19,  and  also  that  he  should 
reveal  the  covenant  of  works,  wfiich  the  Father  established  with 
mankind,  ?.nd  that  he  siiouh'  suffer  it  to  be  broken  by  sin,  to  the  end 
that  he  might  glorify  liis  ju'3-tice  and  inconceivable  grace,  Rom. 
xi.  32. 

3.  In  the  third  place,  it  belongs  to  the  dispensation  of  the  Father 
to  establish  the  covenant  of  grace  with  the  elect  sinner,  to  whom  he 
promises  iiimself,  and  that  he  will  be  his  God,  in  which  every  great 
and  precious  promise  is  imphed,  Jer.  33,  3-4.  2  Cor.  vi.  16—18,  as 
the  administraiion  of  tiiat  covenant  under  the  Old  Testament  also 
belongs  to  the  dispensation  of  the  l^ather^ 

4.  Add  to  this,  that  the  Father  exerciseth  an  csconomical  dispen- 
sation with  respect  to  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  ,  It  was  the 
work  of  the  Father  to  send  the  Son,  made  of  a  woman,  and  under 
the  law,  Gal.  iv.  4,  to  lay  iniquity  upon  him,  to  demand  the  debt  of 
him,  and  therefore  to  bruise  him,  Isaiah  liii.  And  thus  "  God  was 
in  Christ,  reconcilins;  the  world  to  himself,"  2  Cor.  v,  19.  And  in 
order  to  bestow  on  him  the  reward  of  his  arduous  labour,  he  raised 
hini  from  the  dead.  Acts  ii.  24,  set  him  iu  heaven  at  his  own  right 
hand,  and  made  him  Judge  of  the  quick  and. dead.  Acts  x.  42.  Eph. 
i.  10 — 23.  Philip,  ii.  10.  11.  1  Peter  iii.  22.  The  Father  performs 
also  a  certain  work  with  respect  to  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  for  he  gave  him 
without  measure  to  his  Son,  in  order  to  qualify  him  for  the  media* 


IX.  LORDS  DAY.  Q.  26.  195 

Worship,  and  also  that  he  might  communicate  the  Spirit  by  him  to 
his  cnurch,  Jolm  iii.  34.  Isaiali  Ixi.  i.  Acts.  ii.  33.  And  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  seni  likewise  by  God  the  Father  into  the  hearts  of  believers, 
to  influence  them,  Gal.  iv.  6 

5.  Finally,  the  Father  hath  his  special  dispensation  wiih  respect 
to  tbe  elect,  to  wit,  that  he  bestows  his  Son  and  all  his  sovereign  ben- 
efits upon  them,  1  Cor.  i.  30.  Therefore  •'  he  calls  them  to  the 
fellowship  of  his  Son,"  I  Cor  i.  9.  "justifies  them,"  Rom.  viii.  33. 
"adopts  them,"  2  Cor,  vi.  17,  18,  and  brings  them  infb  a  s.ate  of 
peace  with  him,  Rom.  v.  1. 

It  is  necessary  and  profitable  to  view  the  different  dispensations  of 
the  father  in  this  manner,  since  this  removes  the  offence,  which  the 
Socinians  take  at  thr:;  Godhead  of  the  Father,  the  humiliation  of  the 
Son,  and  the  sending  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  may  thus  clearly  com- 
prehend in  v/hat  manner  the  Son  and  the  lloly  Spirit,  who  are  con- 
substantial  with  the  Father,  can  be  sent,  and  in  what  manner  the  ^^on, 
who  is  himself  God.  is  the  servant  of  God,  and  satisfied  the  justice 
of  God  ;  it  also  teaches  believers  how  they  receive  all  things  of  the 
Father  through  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  how  they  draw  near 
to  him,  and  refer  all  back  to  him. 

Wc  must  now  inquire  why  the  first  Person  is  called  Father:  a 
person  is  a  father,  in  consequence  of  his  having  a  child  or  children, 
and  so  God  is  a  Father. 

First,  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whose  etcraal  Father  the  first 
Person  is,  by  an  etenihl  and  inconceivable  generation.  Psalm  ii.  7. 
*'  For  as  the  Father  hath  lifv  in  himself,  so  hat!)  he  clso  given  to  the 
Son  to  have  life  in  himself,  John  v.  26.  But  of  this  we  must  speak 
more  particularly  on  the  thirteenth  Lord's  day. 

In  the  second  place,  God  is  tne  Father  of  true  believers  for  the 
sake  of  his  Sen  Christ,  who  is,  as  it  were,  their  brother  ;  and  there- 
fore "  his  God  and  Father,  is  also  tueir  God  and  Father,"  as  he  lam- 
self  declaies,  John  XX.  17.  The  reason  of  this  is,  (I)  their  n^w 
birth,  by  which  they  partake,  hke  children,  of  the  life  and  iinaece  of 
God  ;  for  "  they  are  not  born  of  blood,  nor  of  ti»e  will  of  man,  h'lt  of 
God,"  John  i.  13,  13,  (2)  Their  spiritnal  marriage  with  the  Son  of 
God,  *'who  hath  betrothed  them  to  himself  in  faithfulness,"  Flosea 
ii.  19.  Therefore  he  is,  "  the  husband"  of  believers,  Isaiah  liv.  5, 
and  they  are  ''  the  bride  and  wife  of  the  Lamb,"  Rev,  xxi.  9.  And 
therefore  God,  the  Father  of  the  Son,  is  also  the  Father  of  his  bride 
and  wife,  who  is  therefore  called  *'  the  daughter"  of  the  Father, 
Psalm  xlv.  16.  (3)  The  adoption  of  grace  by  which  the  Lord  trans- 
latts  them  out  of  the  kingdom  of  Satan  into  his  family,  furnisheth 


19a  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  FATHER^ 

them  with  a  plentiful  support,  and  renders  them  heirs  of  all  his  sa^ 

ving  benefits,  yea,  of  himself,  and  of  his  Son  ;  and  thus  they  are  not 
strangers  and  foreigners,  but  fellow  citizens  with  the  saints,  and  of 
the  household  of  God,"  Eph  ii.  19.  "  Being  children,  they  are  also 
heiiS  of  God,  and  joint  iieir^  with  Christ,"  Rom.  viii.  17. 

In  the  third  place,  God  is  also  a  Father  of  all  his  creatures,  and 
particularly  of  all  mankind  ;  inasmuch  as  they  have  received  life  of 
him  by  creation  ;  therefore  it  is  said,  Mai.  li.  10.  "  Have  we  not 
all  one  leather  I    liath  not  one  God  created  us  ?" 

And  so  this  God  and  Father  is  also  the  Almighty  Maker  of  hea- 
ven and  earth.  To  create,  s  ex  .ressed  in  the  Hebrew  by  the  word 
bara,  which  signifies  to  make  a  new  thing,  as  we  see,  Numb  xvi.  30, 
"  If  the  Lord  njake  a  new  thing."  See  also  Jer.  xxxi.  22.  With 
this  agrees  also  nearly  the  Greek  word  ktizo,  which  words,  as  also 
the  word  create,  are  commonly  used  by  divines  to  denote  the  making 
of  something  out  oi  nothing.  Whether  the  word  bara  signify  to 
give  any  thing  its  beginning,  and  the  word  jatzar  to  give  that  which 
is  oegun,  its  proper  form  and  shape,  and  the  Vv'ord  ^nasah^  to  perfect 
any  thing,  this  may  admit  of  much  disputation  .  some  think  thus, 
because  we  find  these  words  together,  Isaiah  xlii.  7,  "  I  have  crea- 
ted him  for  my  glory,  I  have  formed  him,  yea,  I  have  made  him." 
However  this  be,  the  work  of  creation  is  "a  transient  act  of  God's 
almighty  power,  by  which  he  produced  the  whol**  universe,  without 
any  previous  matter,  only  by  his  powerful  word,  in  the  space  of  six 
successive  days,  to  the  glory  of  his  name." 

In  order  to  explain  the  work  of  creation  we  must  consider,  (1) 
what  was  created,  (2)  Of  what  it  was  created,  (3)  By  whom,  and  by 
-what  power,  (4)  The  act  of  creating,  (5)  The  time,  and  (5)  The 
end  or  design  of  the  creation. 

1.  We  must  inquire  in  the  first  place  what  was  created.  It  was 
"  the  heaven  and  the  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  therein  is,"  accord- 
ing to  our  text.  *'  Things  visible  and  invisible,"  Coll.  i.  16,  Indeed 
there  is  not  any  thing  that  exists  without  God  of  itself,  and  that  was 
not  created  :  all  these  things  arc  called  with  one  word,  the  world, 
and  the  universe.  Although  this  world  is  exceedingly  great,  and  we, 
on  account  of  our  weakness,  do  not  know  the  bounds  of  it,  neverthe- 
less we  may  not  say  that  the  world  is  infinite  ;  for  we  should  then 
be  obUged  to  say  also  that  it  could  not  have  been  made  greater  by 
Cod,  inasmuch  as  nothing  can  be  added  to  that  which  is  infinite  : 
moreover,  the  world  cannot  be  infinite,  because  it  consists  of  finite 
parts,  which  cannot  have  place  in  that  which  is  infinite  :  infinity  is  a 
perfection  that  belongs  to  God  only,  and  it  cannot  be  communicated 


IX.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  26.  I^ 

to  any  creature.  It  is  ulso  exceedingly  absurd  to  say  that  there  cbuld 
not  be  more  worlds  made  than  this,  becaue  we  cannot  conceive  or 
imagine  any  space  beyond  this  world,  in  which  other  worlds  might; 
be  placed  :  for  as  it  was  no  rontradiction,  that  God  created  this  world, 
where  there  was  no  space  before,  so  it  is  no  contradiction,  that  God, 
at^reeably  to  his  inexhaustible  omnipotence,  should  produce  other 
worlds,  where  there  is  no  space  at  present.  * 

2.  But  of  what  was  this  beautiful  world  created  ?  we  must  say  that 
all  things  were  created  out  of  nothing,  by  which  vye  do  not  meau 
that  '^  nothing  was  a  certain  matter,  out  of  which  all  things  were 
produced  :  but  that  all  things  were  created  by  God's  powerful  Word, 
%\'ithout  any  previous  matter  :  "  God  calleth  the  things  which  be  not, 
as  though  they  were,"  Rom.  iv.  17.  "Through  faith  we  understand 
that  the  worlds  were  formed  by  the  Word  of  God,  so  that  things 
which  are  seen  were  not  made  of  things  which  do  appear,"  Heb.  xi. 
3.  Therefore  it  is  detestable  in  Vorstius  and  the  Socinians,  to  con- 
ceive that  the  earth  was  made  of  that  unshapely  mass,  "which  was 
without  form  and  void,"  Gen.  i.  2,  when  nevertheless  Moses  had 
said  before  he  mentioned  that,  "  God  created  the  heaven  and  the 
earth  in  the  beginning,"  vrs.  1.  heaven  perfect  at  its  first  production; 
but  the  earth  without  form  and  void.  Others  fancy  that  the  world 
was  created  of  some  unsightly  matter,  which  had  neither  form  nor 
any  sightly  appearance^  and  that  this  is  called,  by  Paul  me  phainom- 
cna,  "  the  things  which  are  not  seen,"  Heb.  xi.  3.  but  that  text  doth 
not  say,  ek  me  fihainomena^  oi"  things  which  are  not  seen  ;  but  me  ek 
phainomena^  not  of  things  that  are  seen,  which  is  very  different.  Let 
us  allov/  that  he  speaks  of  things,  which  are  not  seen  ;  but  things 
which  are  not  seen,  are  things  which  do  not  exist :  "  It  was  never 
so  seen  in  Israel,"  said  the  multitude  wondering  at  Christ,  when  be 
cast  the  devil  out  of  the  dumb  man,  and  caused  the  dumb  man  to 
speak.  Matt.  ix.  oo.  And  what  would  the  multitude  say,  but  that  it 
had  never  been  so  in  Israel.  The  apostle  showeth  that  "  the  worlds 
were  framed  by  the  word  of  God  ;"  but  what  doth  thjs  mean  but  by 
his  power,  without  any  previous  matter ;  but  to  such  sentiments 
must  these  men  decline,  that  they  may  unsinew,  with  a  certain  ap- 
pearance of  reason,  our  argument  for  the  Godhead  of  Christ,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  from  their  eternity.  Even  the  smallest  atoms  of  the 
world  had  their  beginning,  and  were  created  by  God,  Prcv.  viii.  26. 

*  Tho  author  opposes  here  the  opinions  of  the  Cartesjfans,  wlio  deny  ibat 
there  is  any  void  space  in  nature,  or  that  there  ever  hath  been  ;  and  assert 
that  the  world  is  infinite  in  extension,  and  wai  P?v-r;Vjgl««?s  rrfated.  He 
•%rg;n»s  "c;^'n»  t  them  open  their  own  rrinc'p)<*r-. 


in  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  FATHER. 

otherwise  the  world  would  have  existed  from  eternity,  and  thus  also 
be  God.  When  we  say  that  the  worlo  was  created  out  of  nothing,  * 
we  mean  that  the  work  of  the  first  day  was  abboh;tely  out  of  nothinjj, 
without  the  least  previous  m^Uer  ;  but  the  work  of  the  following 
days  of  a  matter  altogether  unfit,  which  was  as  unfit  as  nothing  to 
make  such  a  beautiful  world  of  it. 

3.   We  can  now  see  by  whom,  and  by  what  power  all  things  were 
created:  "  He  that  built  all  things  is  God,"  saith  Paul,  Heb.  iii   4. 
It  is  a  silly  opinion  of  the  Jews,  that  the  angels  were  felk.w-workers 
with  God.     The  Arians  held  that  Christ  was  an  organ  and  instru- 
ment of    God  in    creation,    und  the   Socinians  pretend  that  God 
could  produce  a  creature,  whieh  would  be  so   ])owerful,  that  he  could 
create  the  world  by  it,  that  they  may  thus    evade  our  argument  for 
the  Godhead  of  the  Son  and   Hoiv  Cihost  from  their  work  of  crea- 
tion :  but  it  is  most  d. testable;  in  the  mass-priests,  to  imagine  that 
they  can  create  their  Creator  of  bread  and  wine,   and  that  only  by 
muttering  fiive  words.     No,  tiie  Lord  God  alone  is  the  Creator,  and 
he  glorits  in  it,   Isniah  xhv.  24.  ''  I  am  the   Lord  that  maketh  all 
things  ;  that  stielcheth  forth  the  heavens  alone,    and  that   spreadeth 
abroad  the  earth  by  myself."  I'herefore  the  Lord  God  is  distinguish- 
ed from  the  idols  by  creation,  and  it  is  proved  therefrom,  that  they 
are  not  Gods,   Psuim  xcvi.  5.  Jer.  x.  11.     To  create  is  a   work  of 
almighty  power  ;  therefore  we  must  all  confess  that  he  is  an  almighty 
Maker,  as  "  Ciod's  eternal  power  and  Godhead  are  also  understood 
by  the  thmgs  that  he  hath  made,"  Rom.  i.  20.    He  who  shall  create 
must  possess  in  himself  eminently  and  actually  all  the  perfections  of 
all  the  creatures :  and   who  is  able   to  remove  the  infinite  distance 
between  something  and  nothing,  but  he   who  possesseth  an  infinite 
power  ?  No  creature  can  be  even  an  instrument  of  God  in  creating, 
since  an  instrur^ient  must  hdve  a  fit  matter  for  its  work,  and  this  can- 
not sxist  in  creating.      Although  creation  is  ascribed  also  to  the  Son 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  yet  it  is  particularly  the  work  of  the  Father,  as 
we  have  shown  above,  and  on  the  foregoing  Lord's  day. 

4.  The  act  of  God,  whereby  he  created  was  not,  that  he  impress- 
ed a  certain  physical  motion  upon  matter,  which  did  then  produce 
such  a  world,  agreeably  to  the  laws  of  motion,  and  God's  ordinary 
co-operation  ;  but  the  work  of  creation  was  performed,  ( 1 )  by  God's 
powerful  and  effectual  wordy  whereby  he  commanded  the  cieature  to 
exist,  and  so  gave  it  existence :  "  God  said,  Let  there  be  light,  and 
there  was  light,"  Gen.  i.  3.  See  also  Psalm  xxxiii.  9.  (2)  By  giving 
such  an  order  and  disposition  to  the  creatures,  that  each  creature 
ihould,  in  consequence  thereof,  be  and  work  according  to  its  nature 


IX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  26.  J99 

and  disposition  :  thus  the  earth  should  be  disposed  to  fruitfulness, 
Gen.  i.  i  K  and  the  hc;hts  to  disiin^^iiish  the  times,  and  to  give  light 
upon  the  earth,  Gen.  i.  14 — 18.  '^3)  By  establishing  all  things  in 
such  a  manner,  that  they  should  remain  fixed  and  steadfast :  thus 
"  God  hath  established  the  earth,  and  it  abideth  :  all  things  continue 
this  day  accordin;,  to  his  ordinances,  for  all  are  his  servants,"  Psalm 
cxix.  90,  91.  See  also  Gen.  viii,  22.  Jer.  xxxi.  35,  36.  xxxiii.  20.  (4) 
By  God's  approbation  and  blessing,  by  which  he  blessed  the  creutures^ 
that  they  might  be  useiul  to  the  generations  following  :  thus  God 
blessed  the  earth,  beasts  and  men,  so  that  they  became  fruitful,  Gen. 
i.  11,  12,  22,  28. 

5,  But  when  did  God  create  the  world?  Moses  saith,  *' In  the 
beginning,"  Gen.  i.  1,  namely,  in  the  beginning  of  time,  which  was 
when  the  creatures  began,  so  that  we  find  an  earlier  or  later  date 
only  in  the  first  existence  and  continuance  of  the  creatures  ;  for  we 
cannot  conceive  of  any  time  before  the  beginning  of  the  creatures, 
but  only  an  unbounded  eternity.  We  leave  it  to  others  to  inquire 
how  long  it  is  since  the  world  was  created,  in  what  season  of  the 
year,  whether  in  the  spring  or  autumn,  how  long  God  was  engaged 
each  day,  a  moment,  or  lon^yjer.  or  a  whole  day  :  there  are  many  who 
enlarge  much  on  these  things  ;  we  only  say,  that  although  God  the 
Lord  was  able  to  produce  the  whole  world  in  a  moment,  in  a  perfect 
state,  it  nevertheless  pleased  him  to  employ  six  days  upon  it,  that 
We  might  contemplate  his  several  works  with  the  greater  attention. 
On  the  first  day  God  created  the  heaven,  the  earth,  and  light,  GeTX, 
i.  i — 5,  and  undoubtedly  the  angels  also  in  heaven,  Job  xxxviii.  6,  7. 
On  the  second  day  he  created  the  firmament,  and  divided  the  waters, 
which  were  above  the  firmament,  from  the  waters  which  were  below 
the  firmament.  Gen.  6,  7,  8.  God  did  not  bless  the  second  day,  but 
he  bestowed  a  double  blessing  on  the  third  day,  because  the  work  of 
the  second  day  was  completed  by  the  work  of  the  third  day,  ''to  wit, 
the  sea,  the  herbs  and  plants,  ch.  i.  9^ — 13.  On  the  fourth  day,  God 
created  the  sun,  moon  and  stars,  ch,  i.  14— -19  ;  on  the  fifth  day, 
the  fishes  and  fowls,  ch.  i.  20 — 23  ;  and  on  the  sixth  day  he  created 
the  beasts  of  the  earth,  and  last  of  all  man,  because  the  Lord  would 
introduce  him  into  a  plentiful  habitation,  and  thus  manifest  that  he 
had  created  aU  things  for  the  good  of  man,  ch.  i.  24 — 31.  On  the 
seventh  day  God  rested,  ch.  ii.  2  ;  not  because  he  was  weary  :  "The 
Creator  of  the  ends  of  the  ea'th  fainteth  not,  neither  is  be  weary," 
Isaiah  xl.  28.  But  it  is  said  that  God  rested,  because  he  ceased  to 
produce  new  kinds  of  creatures,  and  solaced  himself  in  his  works, 
inasmuch  as  they  displayed  his  glory  in  its  proper  lustre,  Exod.  xxxi- 


S^  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  FATHER, 

17.  This  rest  God  prescribed  as  a  pattern  to  man,  requiring  that 
he  should  rest  every  seventh  day  from  his  daily  labour,  after  the  ex- 
ample of  his  Creator ;  and  thus,  separating  himself  from  all  besides, 
solace  himself  in  God.  See  Gen.  ii.  2,  3.  Exod  xx.  8 — 11.  Isaiah 
Iviii.  13,  13. 

6.  Finally,  we  must  know  that  God  the  Lord,  who  h  perfectly 
wisL*,  did  not  create  all  these  things  without  a  holy  and  great  end. 
Solomon  saith,  Prov.  xvi.  4.  "  The  Lord  hath  made  all  things  for 
himself;  yea,  even  the  wicked  for  the  day  of  evih"  This  doth  not 
imply  that  God  had  need  of  the  creatures,  in  order  to  perfect  his 
glory  :  for  "  he  is  not  worshipped  by  men's  hands,  as  though  he 
needed  any  thing,  seeing  he  giveth  to  all  life,  and  all  things;"  Acts 
xvii.  25.  No  creature  can  be  profitable  to  God  ;  it  is  no  advantage 
to  the  Almighty,  tha^  any  one  ib  righteous,  neither  is  it  gain  to  him, 
that  he  maketh  his  w^iys  perfect :  our  goodness  extendeth  not  to 
him  ;  he  is  exalted  above  all  honour  and  praise,  but  because  he  is 
good,  therefore  he  v/ould  communicate  himself,  that  his  eternal 
power,  Godhead  and  glory  might  be  seen  and  acknowledged  ;  God 
hath  therefore  impressed  his  glory  upon  all  the  inanimate  and  irra- 
tional  creatures,  and  endowed  rational  men  viith  his  image,  that  all 
might  thank  and  glorify  the  Creator,  according  to  their  nature.  See 
this  Psalm  xix  1 — 5,  and  Psalm  viiu  Have  mankind  departed  from 
God,  and  honoured  and  served  the  creature  more  than  the  Creator. 
%vho  is  blessed  for  evermore,  the  Lord  hath  nevertheless  not  failed  of 
his  end,  inasmuch  as  he  manifests  his  power,  justice  and  longsuffer- 
ing  ift  the  vessels  of  wrath,  fitted  to  destruction  ;  and  displays  the 
riches  of  his  glory  in  his  power,  v/isdom,  and  inconceivable  gi'ace  in 
the  vessels  of  mercy,  which  he  had  b-fore  prepared  for  glory  :  for 
surely  God  hath  filled  the  world  with  men,  that  he  may  gather  a  peo- 
ple out  of  them,  in  whom  he  will  be  glorified  ;  for  it  would  other- 
wise appear  as  if"  Cod  had  created  all  the  children  of  men  in  vain," 
Psalm  Ixxxix.  48.  Isaiah  xlv.  17,  18.  Eph.  iii.  9.  And  verily  if 
God  had  not  intended  this,  the  world  would  long  ere  now  have  been 
destroyed  in  a  dreadful  manner ;  but  the  Lord  is  longsuffering  to- 
ward us,  not  willing  that  any  should  perish,  but  that  all  should  come 
to  repentance,"  2  Peter  iii.  9.  God  the  Father  doth  also  "  uphold 
ind  govern  the  world,  which  he  hath  created,  by  his  eternal  counsel 
and  providence,"  as  the  in^itructo^  saith  heie  ;  but  of  this  he  treats 
more  particularly  ^n  the  following  Lord's  day. 

II.-  The  believing  exercise  of  a  Christian  with  recpect  to  the  object 
proposed,  God  the  Father,  Almighty  Maker,  is  that  he  believes  in 
him.     II':  doth  not  say,  <*  we"  believe,  as  he  saith,  when  he  prays. 


IX.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  26.  ^m 

*-  out  "  Father ;  but  "  I  "  believe,  because  we  can  indeed  pray  for 
another,  but  we  canriot  believe  for  another  :  "  The  righteous  shall 
live  by  his  faith,"  Hab.  ii.  4.  To  believe  in  God  the  Father,  the 
Almighty  Maker  is. 

1.  Ariously  to  hold  upon  the  declaration  of  God,  ail  the  foregoing 
particuiarb  to  be  true.     It  is  indeed  manifest  from  reason,  that  God 
created  the  world  out  of  nothing,  inasmuch   as  it  cannot  exist  of 
itself,  but  must  have  an  allsufficieni  cause,  as  "the  heathens  also  un- 
derstood and  clearly  saw  the  invisible  things  of  God,  even  bis  eternal 
power  and  Godhead,  by  the  things  that  are  made,"   Rom.  i.  20- 
Nevtirtheless  v/e  obtain  a  clearer  knowledge  of  this  by  the  testimony 
of  God,  that  he  created  all  these  things  out  of  nbthmg,  and  in  such 
a  manner  :  for  "  through   faith  we  understand  that  the  worlds  were 
framed  by  the  Word  of  God,  so  that  things  which  are  seen  were  not 
made  of  things  which  do  appear,"  Heb.  xi,  3.  Verily  reason  cannot 
teach  us  that  the  God  and   Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who 
hath  such  an  inconceivable  purpose   to  save  sinners,  is  the  Creator ; 
this  is  "  hidden   from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and   is  revealed  unto 
babes,  according  to  the  sovereign  good  pleasure  of  God,"   Matt,  xio 
25,  26.     See  also  John  i.  18.     And  our  holding  that  this  revelation 
is  truth,  ife  believing  in   God  the  Father,   Almighty  Muker  in  the 
sense  of  the  Creed  ;  for  thus  we  "  receive  the  testimony  of  God,  and 
set  to  our  seal  that  he  is  true,"  John  iii.  33.     But  do  not  the  devils 
also  believe  this  and  tremble  ?  yes,  according  to  the  divine  declara- 
tion, James  iii.  9.     For  this  reason  the  Christian's  faith  proceedeth 
further  ;  yea,  he  believes  that  God  the  Father,  Almighty  Maker  is 
also  his  God  and  Father  for  Christ  his  Son's  sake.  It  is  true,  it  is  no 
where  said  to   this  and   that  person  in   particular,  that  God  is  his 
Father  in  Christ :  nevertheless  God  testifieth  in  his  word,  that  "  to 
as  many  as  receive  his  Son,  he  gives  power  to  becorhe  the  sons  of 
God,  even  to  them  that  believe  on  his  name,". John  i.  12i.    When  a 
believer  examines  his  actions,  and  the   Holy  Ghost  enables  him  to 
"  know  the  things  that  are  freely  given  him  of  God,"  according  to 
1  Cor.  ii.  12,   he  then  perceives  that  he  hath  truly  received  the  Son 
of  God  by  faith,  from  which  he  safely  concludes  that  he  is  a  child  of 
God,  and  "the   Spirit  of  God  also  beareth  witness  to  this  with  his 
spirit,"  Rom.  viii.  16.     And  his  faith  depends  thus  upon  the  witness 
of  God,  he  admires  and  rejoices  in  "  the  great  love  of  the  Father," 
manifested  to  him,  that  he  is  called  "  n  child  of  God,"  I  John  iii.  I. 
2.  To  believe,  denotes  here  to  commit  and  confide  our  whole  con- 
dition in  every  circumstance  to  God  our  Father,  Almighty  Maker? 
as  David  exhorteth,  Psalm  xxxvii.  5.     "Commit  thy  way  unto  the 

Ff 


202  FAITfl  IN  GOD  THE  FATHER. 

Lord  ;  trust  also  in  him,  and  he  shall  bring  it  to  pass,"  See  1  Peter 
iv.  19.  V.  7.  Is  the  believer  in  want  of  any  thing  with  respect  to 
soul,  or  body,  he  is  not  anxiously  careful,  and  he  doth  not  say,  "  What 
shall  we  eat,  or  what  shall  we  drink,  or  wherewithal!  shall  we  be 
clothed  r"  Matt.  vi.  31,  for  he  doubts  not  but  that  his  Father  will 
provide  him  Avith  all  that  he  needs:  "at  destruction  and  famine  he 
'lau?"hs,"  Job  V.  ti2.  This  confidence  causes  him  sometimes  to  say, 
*'  rvlthou^h  the  fi^-*ree  shall  not  blossom,  neither  shall  fruit  be  in 
(he  vines,  the  labour  of  the  olive  shall  fail,  and  the  fields  shall  yield 
no  meat,  the  flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there  shall  be 
no  herd  in  the  stalls,  yet  I  will  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  I  will  joy  in  the 
God  of  my  salvation,"  Hab.  iii.  17,  18.  Yea,  he  confides  and  doubts 
not  but  that  his  Father  will  cause  all  the  evils,  which  he  sends  upoa 
him  in  this  valley  of  tears,  to  turn  out  to  his  advantage  :  for  "  we 
know  that  all  things  work  to:^ether  for  good  to  them  that  love  God," 
Rom.  viii.  23.  "  The  Lord  chastens  them  who  are  his  for  their 
profit,  that  they  may  be  partakers  of  his  holiness,"  Heb.  xii.  10.  And 
therefore  "  they  glory  in  tribulation,  knowing  that  tribulation  worketh 
patience  ;  and  patience  experience  ;  and  experience  hope  ;  and  hope 
mdkcth  not  ashamed,"  &c.  Rom.  v.  3,  4,  5.  This  confidence  is  not 
a  sinful  indifference,  nor  a  secure  imagination,  but  an  active  reposing 
on  the  Lord  upon  certain  grounds,  which  are,  in  the  first  place, 
that  the  Lord  "  can"  do  this,  being  almighty  God."  However  un- 
likely it  may  appear  to  him,  that  he  should  be  delivered,  nevertheless 
he  will  not  be  afraid  of  evil  tidings,  because  he  hath  a  lively  appre- 
hensioi  of  God's  almighty  power,  by  which'  he  created  all  things^ 
and  '*  for  whom  nothing  is  too  hard,"  as  God's  almighty  creating 
power  supported  Jeremiah,  Jer.  xxxii.  1 7.  See  this  also  in  Abraham, 
Rom.  iv.  17,  21.  But  inasmuch  as  we  cannot  infer  from  God's 
almighty  power  that  he  will  do  any  thing,  so  long  as  we  are  not  as- 
sured that  he  is  willing,  therefore  the  true  Christian  assumes,  as  his 
second  ground  of  confidence,  that  "  God  is  willing,  being  a  faithful 
Father."  He  knows  that  God  is  his  Father,  that  he  hath  taken  upon 
him  to  provide  for  his  children,  and  hath  promised  them  all  things  ; 
the  Chiistian  having  a  clear  conviction  of  these  things,  cannot  doubt 
but  that  his  Father  will  keep  truth  for  ever,  and  provide  for,  and  pro- 
tect him  sufficiently.  Our  Lord  Jesus  recommends  this  ground  to 
the  children  of  God,  when  he  saith,  Matt.  vii.  I  U  "  If  ye,  being  evil, 
know  how  to  give  gOx5d  gifts  to  your  children,  how  much  more  shall 
your  Father,  which  is  in  heaven,^  give  good  things  to  them  that  ask 
him  r"  Matt.  vii.  11.  "         . 


IX.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  26.  203 


APPLICATION. 


May  not  the  believer  now  speak  of  his  happiness,  and  i};lory  in  it, 
that  he  may  thus  believe  in  God  tiie  Falser,  Almighty  Maker  ?  Had 
not  the  holy  Psalmist  sufficient  reason  to  say,  "  Happy  is  he  that 
hath  the  God  of  Jacob  for  his  help,  whose  hope  is  in  tiie  Lord  his 
God  :  which  made  heaven  and  earth,  the   sea,  and  all  that  therein 
is  :  which  keepeth  truth  for   ever."    Psalm   cxlvi.   5,  6.     Such  an 
Almighty  Maker  is  his  God  :  "  Blessed  is  the  nation  whose  God  is 
the  Lord  :  the  people  whom  he  hath  chosen  for  his  own  inheritance," 
Psalm  xxxiii,  12.  Because  the  Lord  had  nothing  more  precious  than 
himself,  therefore  he  hath  given  himself  to  him,  saying  in  his  cove- 
nant, "  I  will  be  a  God  to  thee  ;"  on  this  account  he  hath  made  him 
a  vessel  of  honour,  and  an  object  of  all  his  l^indness,  hath  given  his 
Son  to  be  his  surety,  hath  established  a  covenant  bf  grace  with  him, 
and  bestowed  on  him   from  that  covenant  all  the  sure  mercies  of 
David.     And  as  if  this  were  yet  too  little,  the   Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  is  his  God  and  Father,  "  of  whose  nature  he  is  become 
a  partaker:  his  Maker  is  his  husband,  whose  name  is  the  I  or..'  of 
hosts  ;    he  is  of  the  household  of  God,  and  an  heir  of  God  :  behold, 
what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  uponjas,  that  we 
should  be  called  the  sons  of  God,"  1  John  iii.  1.  Yea,  believers,  what- 
ever belongs  to  your  Father  belongs  also  to  you  ;  for  "  all  Is  yours  ; 
whether  Paul,  or  A  polios,  or  Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death, 
or  things  present,  or  things  to  come  ;  all  are  yours  ;  and  ye  are 
Christ's,  and  Christ  is  God's,"  1  Cor.  iii.  21,  22,  23.     Will   ye  now 
still  be  concerned  about  what  ye  shall  eat  or  drink  ?  "  He  that  spared 
not  his  owri  Son,  but  delivered  him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not 
■with  him  freely  give  us  all  things  ?"  Rom.  viii.  32.     Will  ye  now 
yet  let  your  heads  hang  down  on  account. of  the  evils  that  befall  you? 
no  ;  they  are  your  Father's  gracious  cjiastisements  for  your  good, 
and  he  will  deliver  you  out  of  them :  "  He  shall  deliver  thee  in  six 
troubles;  yea,  in  seven  there  shall  no  evil  touch  thee,"  Job  v.   19. 
How  safely  may  ye  rely  on   ycur  Father's  power,  will  and  faithful- 
ness, and  indulge  a  sweet  aad  quiet  confidence,  like  David  !  Psalra 
xxiii  4.  *'  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death, 
I  will  fear  no  evil ;  for  thou  art  with  me,  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they 
comfort  me."  ^ 

I3ut  dost  thou  and  thou  believe  that  the  God  and  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth  is  also  thy  God 
and  Father?  or  do  thy  thonghtn  not  as(iend  so  high  as  this  ?  or  dost 


9^4  FAITH  IM  GOD  THE  FATHERc 

thou  hope  that  this  is  so,  because  it  is  so  desirable  a  case  ?  or  dost 
thou  not  doubt  of  it,  because  thou  hast  forced  thyself  by  a  strong 
imagination  to  believe  it  ?  But  hast  thou  any  ground  for  this  belief 
of  thine  ?  or  dost  thou  believe  only  because  thou  thinkest  that  tho\t 
oug'itest  not  to  doubt  ?  butrought  not  a  person  to  doubt  when  in  an 
affair  of  so  trreat  importance,  he  h?.th  no  ground  for  his  faith,  and 
when  so  many  deceive  themselves,  and  v/hen  deceiving  ourselves  is 
so  dangerous  here  ?  Or  dost  thou  say,  I  have  a  ground  ?  but  what 
IS  thy  ground  ?  that  thou  art  a  member  of  the  church  of  God,  that 
thou  art  devout,  not  so  wicked  as  this  or  that  person,  and  that  thou 
hast  many  virtues  ?  But  did  not  the  Pharisee  proceed  so  far  ;  Luke 
xviii.  10,  11,  and  was  he  a  child  of  God?  surely  no;  for  he  v/ent 
down  to  his  house  unjustified.  Or  is  it  thy  ground,  that  God  bles- 
seth  and  provideth  for  thee  more  than  for  others  ?  But  how  doth 
>^saph  complain,  Psalm-lxxiii.  1^.  '<  Behold,  these  are  the  ungodly, 
who  prosper  in  the  world,  they  increase  in  riches."  The  wisest  of 
the  sons  of  men  said,  Prov.  i.  32.  "  The  prosperity  of  fools  shall  de- 
stroy them."  Or  dost  thou  think  the  Lord  visits  me  with  so  many 
evils  in  this  valley  of  tears,  and  I  must  suffer  so  much  here,  that  I 
shall  not  need  to  suffer  hereafter,  *'  For  whom  the  Lord  loveth,  he 
chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every  son  v/hom  he  receiveth,"  according 
to  Heb.  xii.  6,  but  "the  wicked  have  also  many  sorrows,"  as  the  man 
after  God's  own  heart  saith,  Psalm  xxxii.  10.  And  what  thinkest 
thou,  would  not  one,  who  is  a  child  of  God,  have  striven  more  to 
become  such  au  one,  than  thpu  perhaps  hast  done  ?  wouldest  thou, 
if  thou  vvAt  a  child  of  God,  coiiitent  thyself  so  with  the  creatures^ 
and  pursue  afier  them  more  than  after  the  Creator,  yea.  employ  the 
creatures  of  God  against  him,  as  instruments  of  unrighteousness  ? 

All  ye  then,  who  neither  are,  nor  do  aught  else  than  thus,  "  ye  are 
not  his  children,  but  a  crooked  and  perverse  generation,"  as  Moses 
said  to  the  carnal  Israelites,  Deut.  xxxii.  5.  Is  God  your  Maker 
and  Father  by  creation,  it  doth  nqt  pro.it  you,  because  ye  do  not 
know,  seek»nor  love  him  :  yea,  if  ye  remain  as  ye  are,  he  will  not  re- 
gard the  misery  that  will  betide  you.  Hear  what  the  Lord  himself 
saith,  and  regard  it,  that  ye  may  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  Isaiah 
xxvii.  11.  *^  It  is  a  people  of  no  understanding  ;  therefore  he  that 
made  them  will  not  have  mercy  on  them,  and  he  that  formed 
Ihem  will  show  them  no  favour." 

Therefore  be  more  earnestly  desirous  to  have  God  for  your  Fa- 
ther ;  <«  Kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from  the  way, 
when  his  wrath  is  kindled  but  a  litrle,"  as  the  Psalmist  cries  to  yoi?, 
ipsalm  ii.  \^, 


IX.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  26.  205 

I  know  exceedingly  well  that  many  sincere  believers,  though  they 
have  even  the  truest  grounds  of  confidence,  do  still  doubt,  and  dar^ 
not  firmly  believe  for  themselves,  that  the  God  and  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Almighty  Maker,  is  also  their  God  and  Far 
ther.  But  what  is  the  reason,  ye  weak  believers,  that  ye  dare  not 
hold  fast  the  confidence,  and  the  rejoicing  of  your  hope  firm  unto 
the  end  ?  is  this  privilege  too  great  for  you,  that  so  great  and  wor- 
thy a  God,  Father,  and  Maker,  is  your  God  and  Father  ?  Well,  the 
Lord  God  doth  only  great  things,  and  that  to  the  most  unworthy  i  if 
this  be  not  too  great  for  God  to  give,  let  it  not  be  too  great  for  you 
to  receive.  Or  is  it  your  thouglit,  that  if  the  Lord  God  were  your 
Father,  he  would  not  inflict  so  many  evils  on  you  ?  that  ye  should 
not  lack  so  many  things,  which  ye  need  for  your  soul  and  body  ? 
but  is  not  the  gate  straight,  and  the  way  naiTOW  that  leadeth  unto 
life  I  lead  the  book  of  God  from  the  begmning  to  the  end,  and  see 
whether  there  ever  hath  been  a  child  of  God,  to  whom  the  waters  of 
affliction  have  not  been  Wrung  out  in  full  cups.  To  experience 
no  affliction,  is  rather  an  evidence  ^hat  a  person  is  a  bastard  than 
a  son. 

Conje  hither  then,  and  behold  neat  ^t  hand  the  true  grounds  upon 
which  a  person  may  believe  that  he  is  a  cfiild  of  God,  and  examine 
yourselves  by  them,  and  see  whether  y?  have  no  foundation  to  be- 
lieve that  this  is  your  great  privilege. 

1.  lie  who  is  a  child  of  God,  hath  chosen  the  Lord  God  alone, 
and  above  all  others  for  his  God  and  Father,  and  is  satisfied  with 
him  alone,  as  that  afflicted  person  declared  of  himself,  Psalm  Ixxiii, 
25,  26,  "  Wiiom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee  ?  and  there  is  none  upon 
earth  that  I  dasire  besides  thee,  iA>ly  <iesh  and  my  heart  faileth  ;  but 
God  is  the  strength  of  my  heart,  and  my  portion  for  ever."  Can  ye 
deny  that  ye  have  done  this  sincerely  and  heartily  ;  yea,  frequently, 
and  that  ye  still  do  it  ?  can  your  souls  find  satisfaction,  rest  and 
tranquility  out  of  the  Lord  ? 

2.  He  who  is  a  child  of  God  hath  detached  himself  from  all  things, 
yea,  from  himself,  and  hath  surrendered  himself  to  the  Lord,  to  be 
his  property,  and  to  be  wholly  at  his  service.  This  was  foretold  con- 
cerning these  days,  Isaiah  xliv.  5.  •'  One  shall  say,  I  am  the 
Lord's  ;  and  another  shal!  call  himself  by  the  name  of  Jacob  ;  and 
another  shall  subscribe  with  his  hand  to  the  Lord,  and  surname  him- 
self by  the  name  of  Israel."  Ye  cannot  surely  deny  tliis,  ye  are  con- 
scious that  ye  have,  with  the  straui^ers,  '*  joined  yourselves  to  the 
Lord,"  not  only  to  be  saved,  but  also  '*  to  serve  him,  to  love  the  name 
qf  the  Lord,  to  be  his  servants."     **  Now  to  these  the  Lord  would 


205  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  FATHER. 

give  a  name  better  than  that  of  sons  and  of  daughters."     See  Isaiah 
Ivi.  3,  6« 

3.  He  who  is  a  child  of  God  hath  also  received  the  Son  of  God 
by  faith,  John  i.  12,  "As  many  as  received  him,  to  them  he  gave 
power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  lo  them  that  believe  on  his 
name."  See  also  Gal.  iii.  26.  Is  any  thing  indeed  more  evident  to 
3'ou,  than  (when  ye  were  concerned  about  your  damnable  condition, 
were  bowed  down  to  the  dust,  and  did  not  find  the  life  of  your  hand, 
and  said,  there  is  no  hope,)  that  ye  were  then  truly  urged  to  him  by 
an  insatiable  desire,  that  ye  cast  yourselves  upon  him,  received  him, 
and  united  yourselves  to  him,  that  ye  might  be  found  in  him  only 
and  might  have  his  righteousness.  Let  your  souls  then  be  ai  length 
established,  and  cast  not  away  your  confidence,  whicr.  hath  a  great 
recompence  of  reward. 

Is  the  God  and  Father  of  out  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  made  hea- 
ven and  earth,  and  ail  that  in  them  is  out  of  nothing,  yourGod  and 
Father  ?    conduct  yourselves  then  worthily  of  him,  and  therefore, 

1.  See  what  he  hath  done  for  you,  that  ye  may  perceive  to  your 
joy  and  satisfactiojil^  and  with  admiration,  his  transcendent  wisdom, 
power,  good^^  love  and  free  grace,  in  all  his  doings,  and  espe- 
cially in  creaTmg  and  furnishing  such  a  glorious  and  illustrious 
world :  So  the  sweet  Psalmi&t  acted  ;  "  How  great  are  thy  works, 
()  Lord  I  in  wisdom  hast  thou  made  them  all  :  the  earth  is  full  of 
thy  riches  ;  my  meditation  of  him  shall  be  sweet ;  I  will  be  glad  in 
the  Lord,"  Psaim  civ.  24.  34.  Therefore  he  also  cried  out  with  a 
heart  filled  with  the  praises  of  God,  "  Thou,  O  Lord,  hast  made  me 
glad  through  thy  work  :  I  will  triumph  in  the  works  of  thy  liands. 
O  l-.ord,  how  great  are  thy  works  !  and  thy  thoughts  are  very  deep," 
Psalm  xcii.  5,  6,  We  ought  certainly  pot  to  be  worse  than  the  hea- 
thens, <'  who  understood  and  saw  clearly  by  the  creatures,  the  invisible 
things  of  God,  even  his  eternal  power  and  Godhead,'*  Rom.  i.  20. 
Even  *'  the  ox  knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  ass  his  master's  crib ;" 
•liov.' shameful  *vould  it  be  then,  that  "  Israel  should  not  know,  and 
that  the  people  of  God  should  not  consider."  See  Isaiah  i.  3,  Yea, 
the  inanimate  "  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  firma- 
ment showeth  his  handy  work,"  Psalm  xix.  I.  And  shall  ye,  who 
are  the  children  of  God,  be  dumb  here  ?  the  Lord  hath  formed  you, 
that  ye  should  show  forth  his  praise  ;  let  youi'  souls  then  awake  up, 
and  endeavour  to  know  and  to  praise  the  Lord,  in  all  your,  yea,  also 
in  all  his  ways.  Ye  are  certainly  bound  and  obliged  to  him  by  a 
thousand  bonds. 


V  IX.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  26.       -  ^Of 

■  "2.  Penetrate  also  to  the  eternal  counsel  of  p^race,  that  ye  may-see 
the  Father's  v/isdom,  holiness,  righteousness  and  love  in  it.  It  be- 
hooves you  to  stand  still  a  while  here,  that  ye  may  behold  it  in  order, 
and  may  look  into  it  ;  by  this  ye  have  become  children  of  God,  arc 
called  to  pjlory,  and  virtue,  and  are  made  "  a  chosen  pjeneration,  a 
royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people  ;  that  ye  should 
show  forth*  le  praises  of  him  who  hath  called  you  out  of  darkness 
into  his  marvellous  light,"  I  Peter  ii.  9.  We  may  see  more  of 
the  divine  glory  in  this,  even  in  this,  than  in  all  things  beside ;  but 
since  we  have  urged  you  to  this  duty  on  the  former  Lord's  day,  we 
will  not  enlarge  on  it  further  at  present. 

-    3.  Rely  and  doubt  not  but  that  he  will  provide  you  with  all  things 
necessary  for  soul  and  body  ;  and  that  he  will  make  whatever  evils 
he  sends  upon  you,  in  this  \  alley  of  tsars,  turn  out  to  your   advan- 
tage.    How,  he    who  hath  provided  you  with  great  things,  will  he 
withhold  small  things  from  you  ?     Who  dares  suspect  him  of  un- 
faithfulness,  or   indifference  ?  do   evils  innumerable    compass    you 
about,  is  it  without  his   appointment  or  ordination  ?  and   when  he 
sends  these  evils  upon  you,   doth  he  then  forsake    you  ?     By   no 
means.     Hear  what  he  commands  us  to  proclaim  to  you  from  Isaiah 
xliii.  l,-2,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  that  created  thee,  O  Jacob,  and  he 
that  formed  thee,  ()  Israel,  Fear  not ;  for  I  have  redeemed    thee,  I 
have  called   thee  by  thy  name,  thou  art  mine  ;  when  thou   passest 
through  the  waters,  I    will  be  with    thee  ;    and  through   the    rivers, 
they  shall  not   overflow  thee :  when   thou  walkest  through  the  fire, 
thou  shalt  not  be  burnt ;  neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee." 
Let  not  the  heart  of  any  one  of  you  fail,  his  God   and  Father  is  al- 
mighty and   willing  to  deliver    him  ;  "  His  hand  is   not   shortened, 
that  it  cannot  save  ;  neither  is  his  ear  heavy  that  it  cannot  hear  ;" 
this  is  his  own  declaration,  Isaiah  lix.   1.     Are    your    adversities  so 
grievous,  and  have  they  continued  so  long,   that   ye  are  weary  of 
them,  he  who  intends  to  come,  will  come,  and  he  will  show  you  that 
your  miseries  are  only  the  corrections  of  a  loving  Father,  and   his 
chastistment  will  yield  the  peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness  to  them 
who  are  exercised  thereby. 

4.  Devote  yourselves  now  wholly  to  his  service.  This  David 
purposed  when  he  said,  Psalm  cxvi.  16,  "  O  Lord,  truly  I  am  thy 
-servant,  I  am  thy  servant."  What  a  noble  and  exceedingly  glori- 
ous testimony  v/as  that,  which  was  given  of  those,  who  were  sent  by 
the  worthy  ecclesiastical  council  of  Jerusalem,  that  they  were  "  men 
who  had  hazarded  their  lives  for  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ," 
Acts  XV.  26.     Whatever  ye   are,  O  beli^ivers,  yo  are  of  your  God 


£08  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  FAl  HER. 

and  Father  ;  ye  are  his  creatures,  yea,  his  children  ;  and  for  what 
end  ?  is  it  not  that  ye  may  be  wholly  for  him,  and  for  his  service  ?" 
Is  not  he  thy  Father,  who  hath  bought  thee  ?  hath  he  not  made 
thee,  and  established  thee  ?"  Deut.  xxxii.  6.  *'  Ye  are  his  wovk- 
manship,  created  in  Chir'st  Jestjs  unto  good  works,  which  God  hath 
before  ordained,  that  ye  should  walk  in  them,"  Eph.  ii.  10.  Ye 
stand,  as  it  were,  in  a  direct  subordination  to  him,  that  ye  should  be 
for  him  only,  "  I  beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies 
of  God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy  and  ac- 
ceptable to  God,  which  is  your  reasonable  service."  Rom.  xii.  1. 

5.  Let  me  stir  you  up,  finally,  to  conduct  yotirselves  as  creatures  and 
children  worthy  of  such  a  God  and  Father,  Almighty  JVIaker.  Ah 
his  creatures  and  children,  it  behooves  you  to  fear  him,  and  to  trem- 
ble in  a  holy  manner  before  him  :  »*  Fear  ye  not  me,  saith  the 
Lord  ?  will  ye  not  tremble  at  my  presence,  who  have  ^placed  the 
sand  for  a  bound  of  the  sea  by  a  perpetual  decree  ?"  Jer*  v.  22. 
If  ye  call  on  him  as  a  Father,  who  without  respect  of  persons,  judg- 
eth  according  to  every  man's  work,  pass  the  time  of  your  sojourning 
here  in  fear."  Thus  ye  are  admonished,  1  Peter  i.  17.  It  behooves 
you,  as  creatures  and  children,  to  conduct  yourselves  patiently  under 
his  rod  of  correction.  *'  We  have  had  fathers  of  our  flesh,  who  cor- 
rected  us,  and  we  gave  them  reverence  i  shall  we  not  much  rather 
be  in  subjection  to  the  Father  of  spirits,  and  live  ?"  Heb.  xii  9.  As 
creatures  and  children  we  must  also  be  obedient  to  him  in  all  things 
which  he  commands  us :  "  As  obedient  children,  not  fashioning 
yourselves  according  to  the  former  lusts  in  your  ignorance,"  as  ye 
are  exhorted,  I  Peter  io  14.  As  creatures  and  children,  ye  must 
be  like  your  Lord  and  God  :  ye  are  created  and  newmade  after  bis 
image :  therefore,  "  as  he  who  hath  called  you  is  holy,  so  be  ye  also 
holy  in  all  nianrer  of  conversation :  because  it  is  written.  Be  ye 
holy,  for  1  am  holy,"  I  Peter  i.  15,  16.  Are  ye  his  creatures  and 
children,  live  then  without  care,  and  only  for  his  hand.  It  is  the 
temper  of  children  to  be  without  concern,  and  to  seek  all  tilings  of 
their  father,  being  assured,  that  he  will  not  refuse  them  what  is  ne- 
cessary for  them.  This  our  Lord  Jesus  teacheth  us,  when  he  directs 
us  to  pray,  "  Our  Fathel%  give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.'  Crea- 
tures and  children  ou.^ht  also  to  glory  in  their  God  and  Father : 
children  are  used  to  glory  m  their  father's  wisdom,  power,  riches  and 
goodness  :  but  ye,  believers,  have  the  greatest  reason  to  glory  on 
their  account :  "  The  portion  of  Jacob  is  not  like  them  ;  for  he  is 
the  former  of  all  things,  and  Israel  is  the  rod  of  his  inheritance  :  the 
Lord  of  hosts  is  his  name,"  Jer.  x.  1 6.    May  not  believers  challenge 


IX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  26.  209 

^ny  one  to  show  them  a  portion  equal  to  theirs  ?  Moses  did  thus, 
Deut.  xxxii.  51."  For  their  rock  is  not  as  our  rock,  even  our  ene- 
mies themselves  bein^  judges."  Once  more  ;  creatures  and  children, 
who  have  such  a  God  and  Father,  need  not  fear  any  danger,  or  the 
malice  of  any  creature  :  your  God  and  Father  is  above  them  ;  there- 
fore do  not  fear,  or  ye  will  deny  the  supreme  power  and  goodness  of 
your  God  and  Father.  Hear  what  he  saith  to  you,  Isaiah  li.  12,  13. 
"  I,  even  I  am  he  that  comforteth  you  :  who  art  thou,  that  thou 
shoulclest  be  afraid  of  a  man,  that  shall  die,  and  of  the  son  of  man, 
who  shall  be  made  as  grass  ?  and  forgeitest  the  Lord  thy  Maker, 
that  hath  stretched  forth  the  hjeavens,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
earth  ?"  Are  ye  despised  in  the  world,  let  it  suffice  you,  that  ye  are 
precious  in  the  eyes  of  your  God  and  Father,  the  Almighty  Maker. 
He  commands  the  angels,  his  most  worthy  creatures,  to  serve  you  : 
"  Are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for  them 
who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation  ?"  thus  asks  Paul,  Heb.  i.  14.  Are  ye 
chased  from  your  dwelling,  country  and  people,  ye  are  every  wlere 
on  your  God  and  Father's  ground  :  for  »'  the  earth  is  the  Lord's,'* 
Psalm  xxiv.  1 .  And  though  ye  were  chased  even  out  of  the  world, 
your  Father  and  God  will  provide  for  you  a  better,  a  more  spacious 
and  happy  dwellingplace  :  for,  according  to  Heb.  xi.  10,  16.  »'  He 
will  not  be  ashamed  to  be  called  your  God  ;  for  he  hath  prepared  a 
city  for  you :  and  that  city  hath  foundations,  and  tfee  builder  and 
maker  thereof  is  God  himself."  Amen. 


^  210  ) 


THE 


DOCTRINE  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE 


X.  LORD'S  DAY. 


Acts  xvii.  28.     For  in  him  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  beings 

Q.  27.    What  dost  thou  mean  by  the  providence  of  God  ? 

A.  The  Almighty  and  every  where  present  power  of  God;  Where- 
by, as  it  were  by  his  hand  he  upholds  and  governs  heaven,  earth,  and 
all  creatures  ;  so  that  herbs  and  grass,  rain  and  drought,  fruitful  and 
barren  years,  meat  and  drink,  health  and  sickness,  riches  and  poverty, 
yea,  all  thinrs  come  not  by  chance^but  by  his  fatherly  hand. 

Q,  28.  What  advantage  is  it  to  us  to  know  that  God  hath  created, 
and  by  his  firovidencc  doth  still  uphold  all  things  ? 

A.  That  we  may  be  patient  in  adversity,  thankful  in  prosperity  ^ 
and  that  in  all  things  which  may  hereafter  befall  us,  we  place  our 
firm  trust  in  oar  faithful  God  and  Father,  that  nothing  shall  separafe 
us  from  his  love,  since  all  creatures  are  so  in  his  hand,  that  without 
his  will  they  cannot  so  much  as  move. 


D 


AVID,  having  experienced  the  loving-kindness  of  the  Lord  with 
respect  to  his  soul  and  body,  did  not  only  trust  that  he  would  per- 
fect that  which  concerned  him,  because  his  mercy  endured  for  ever, 
but  prayed  also  for  it,  when  he  said,  "  Forsake  not  the  works  of 
thine  own  hands,"  Psalm  cxxxviii.  8.  The  Lord  God,  being  un- 
changeable in  his  goodness  to  his  people,  as  well  as  in  his  nature,  is 
not  like  a  workman,  who  having  finished  his  work,  withdraws  hi? 


X.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  27,  28.  211 

hand  from  it,  and  surrenders  it  to  the  care  of  others.  No,  he  con- 
tinueth  to  attend  to  his  work  ;  the  Lord  conducts  thus  with  respect 
to  the  work  of  grace  in  the  souls  of  his  people  :  "  Havintj  loved  his 
own,  he  loveth  them  to  the  end,"  John  xiii.  I.  "  His  gifts  aiid  calUng 
are  without  repentance,"  Kom.  xi.  29.  "God,  who  had  begun  a 
good  work  in  the  believing  Pliilippians,  would  also  finish  it  until  the 
day  of  Jesus  Christ,','  Philip,  i.  6.  But  the  Lord  doth  not  only  con- 
tinue to  attend  to  the  work  of  grace  m  his  people,  but  also  tojl^ 
whole  universe,  which  he  hath  created.  It  was  not  indeed  thJKie- 
sign  of  the  Lord  first  to  make  the  world,  and  presently  after  to  de- 
stroy it;  wheie  and  by  whom  should  his  glory  then  be  acknowledged, 
which  was  the  great  end  that  he  proposed  to  himself  in  makint^  the 
v/orld  ?  It  was  his  intention  to  uphold  it,  and  also  to  provide  for  it, 
that  it  might  not  perish  ;  therefore  he  is  also  called  '^  a  faithful  ( Te- 
ator,"  1  Peter  iv.  19,.  which  he  manifests  himself  to  be  by  his  provi- 
dence, by  which  ♦'  we  live,  move,  and  have  our  being  in  him,"  as 
Paul  teacheth  in  our  text,  Acts  xvii.  28,  He,  wishing  to  lead  the 
Athenians  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Gedl,  who  was  unknown  to  them, 
shows  that  he  is  that  God,  who  made  the  world,  and  all  the  nations 
of  men,  that  they  might  all  seek  him  ;  but  had  that  God  nov/  v/ith« 
drawn  from  the  world,  and  its  inhabitants,  and  had  he  left  them  to 
provide  for  themselves  ?  No,  he  manifested  himself  near  at  hand,  by- 
providing  for  them  ;  for,  saith  the  apostle,  "  in  him  we  live,"  8cg. 
The  instructor  conducts  also  in  this  manner  ;  for  having  taught  in 
the  foregoing  Lord's  day  the  doctrine  of  creation,  he  informs  us  now 
also  in  this  Lor's  day,  that  God  doth  not  suffer  the  created  universe 
to  proceed  at  random,  but  that  he  upholds  and  governs  it  by  his 
fatherly  hand. 

There  are  therefore  two  general  heads  here,  which  require  our 
consideration  ; 

I.  The  exposition  of  the  doctrine  of  providence.  Question  27. 

II.  The  advantage  of  the  knowledge  of  creation  and  providence, 
Question  28.  " 

J.  Wiih  respect  to  the  first  general  head  we  must  attend,  1.  to 
the  signification  of  the  word  providence,  what  it  signifitth  here,  2.  to 
whom  providence  is  ascribed,  3.  to  what  providence  extends,  4.  the 
various  acts  which  constitute  the  work  of  providence,  5.  the  several- 
methods  of  pi-ovidence,  6.  the  difficulties  that  are  objected  to  the 
eflicacy^of  providence,  and  then  we  will,  7.  prove  in  general  the  truth 
of  the  doctrine  of  providence.  We  propose  so  many  particulars  for 
our  consideration,  that  we  may  avoid  a  great  number  of  subdivisions, 
v/hich  sometimes  render  subject3  obscure.. 


2n        THE  DOCTRINE  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE, 

1 .  The  words  providence  and  provide  signify  literally  foreseeing 
and  foreknowing  a  matter,  and  thus  the  word  providence  signifies 
also  God's  foreknowledge ;  "  Known  unto  God  are  all  his  works 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world,"  saith  James,  Acts  xv.  18.  And 
no  marvel  >  lor  God  decreed  from  eternity  that  he  would  work,  and 
hence  he  foreknows  his  work,  and  he  "  worketh  all  thirtgs  after  the 
counsel  of  his  oAvn  will,"  Eph.  i.  1 1.  Therefore  the  instructoi  had 
also  said  in  the  foregoing  Lord's  day,  that  "  God  upholds  and  gov- 
er"  all  things,  which  he  hath  made,  by  his  eternal  counsel  and  pro- 
vidence ;"  for  all  God's  works  are  performed  according  to  that  eter- 
nal counsel,  which  may  also  be  called  a  providence,  according  to 
Heb.  xi.  40.  *'  God  having  provided  some  better  things  for  us."  But 
we  must  not  understand  the  word  providence  in  the  present  Lord's 
day  of  God's  knowledge  and  counsel ;  for  God  also  created  the  world 
according  to  that  foreknowledge  and  counsel  ;  now,  as  creating  is 
distinct  from  God's  foreknowledge  and  counsel,  so  providence  is  also 
distinct  therefrom.  We  must  therefore  understand  this  word  here 
in  a  different  sense,  as  the  word  providei-ce  denotes  also  to  provide 
for,  and  to  take  care  of  any  thing  :  "  Casting  all  your  care  upon  him, 
for  he  careth  for  you,"  1  Peter  v.  7.  Thus  also  the  Hebrew  word 
jRaahy  to  see,  to  behold,  denotes  to  take  care  of,  to  provide  :  "  God 
will  provide  himself  a  lamb  for  a  burnt-offering.  And  Abraham 
called  the  name  of  that  pljce  Js/iovah-Jtreh"  (the  Lord  will  provide) 
*'  as  it  is  said  to  this  day.  In  the  mount  of  the  Lord  it  shall  be  pro- 
vided," Gen.  xxii.  8,  14.  Thus  also  the  Greek  word  fironoeo,  which 
signifies  in  the  first  place  tofoiesee  and  foreknow  something  with 
our  understanding,  is  used  for  "providing  for  our  own,"  1  Tim. 
V.  8. 

2.  No  creature  can  provide  for  itself,  much  less  for  the  universe. 
Providing  for  the  universe  must  be  ascribed  to  God  only  ;  for  it  is 
a  work  of  almighty  power,  as  David  saith  of  it,  1  Chron  xxix.  12. 
"  Thou  reignest  over  all,  and  in  thy  hand  is  power  and  might :  and 
in  thy  hand  it  is  to  make  great  and  give  strengtii  to  all."  See  also 
Isaiah  xl.  26.  Which  is  not  to  be  understood  in  such  a  sense  as 
though  God  exerted  force  upon  his  creatures,  compelled  and  thwart- 
ed them  :  no,  God,  who  is  the  supreme  reason  itself,  regulates  his 
almighty  power  by  his  wisdom,  according  to  the  nature  of  his  crea- 
tures ;  "  He  is  the  only  wise  God,  to  whom  belongeth  dominion  and 
power,"  as  holy  Jude  speaks  m  his  epistle,  vrs.  25.  Moreover,  pro- 
viderxe  is  a  work  not  only  of  the  almighty,  but  also  of  the  every 
where  present  power  of  God,  who  is,  and  M'orks  immediately  with 
all  his  creatures ;  «  He  is  not  far  from  every  one  of  us  j  for  in  him 


X.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  27,  28.  21S 

we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being,"  Acts  xvii.  2r,  2a.  And  it 
is  the  work  of  the  Father  thiouj^h  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost, 
shice  it  is  referred  to  creation,  as  it  was  said  in  the  foregoing  Lord's 
day,  that  "the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  made  all  things, 
doth  still  uphold  and  govern  them  by  his  eternal  counsel  and  provi- 
dence," Providence  is  a  continual  creation,  as  the  Lord  Jesus  also 
refers  providence  to  his  Father,  Matt.  vi.  26 — 34.  And  this  work 
is  thus  ascribed  to  the  Father,  because  he  is  the  Father  of  all  the 
creatures,  but  especially  of  believers,  for  the  sake  of  his  Son  Christ, 
as  was  also  said  io  the  26th  question,  and  therefore  the  Father's  work 
here  is  to  be  considered  as  the  execution  of  his  dispensation  of  grace  ; 
and  whatsoever  he  bestows  upon  believers  in  his  providence,  comes 
to  them  by  his  fatherly  hand,  and  is  bestowed  from  special  love  with 
Christ,  Rom.  viii.  32. 

3.  The  providence  of  God  extends  to  all  things  that  he  hath  crea- 
ted :  to  "  the  heaven,  the  earth,  together  with  all  tl^e  creatures"  in 
general,  and  to  "  the  herbs,  and  grass,  rain  and  drought,  &c.  in  par- 
ticular. That  we  may  apprehend  all  this  in  a  proper  and  orderly 
manner,  we  will  proceed  according  to  the  method  which  God  obser- 
ved in  the  six  days  creation  '  and  so  we  must  say  that  the  providence 
of  God  extends  (a)  to  the  works  of  the  first  day,  the  heaven,  the  an- 
gels, and  the  light :  "  The  Lord  covereth  himself  with  light  as 
with  a  garment,  he  stretcheth  out  the  heavens  like  a  curtain,  he 
maketh  his  angels  spirits,  his  ministers  a  flaming  fire,"  Psalm  civ.  2 
4.  The  earth  :  "  He  shaketh  the  earth  out  of  her  place,  and  the 
pillars  thereof  tremble,"  Job  ix.  6.  (b)  The  providence  of  God  ex- 
tends also  to  the  works  of  the  second  day,  as  the  waters  above  and 
below  ;  "  When  he  uttereth  his  voice,  there  is  a  multitude  of  waters 
ill  the  heavens  :  he  causeth  the  vapors  to  ascend  from  the  ends  of 
the  earth  ;  he  maketh  lightnings  with  the  rain  :  he  bringeth  the 
wind  out  of  his  treasuries."  See  also  Psalm  cxxxv.  7,  and  Psalm 
cxlvii.  15,  38.  Jer»  x.  13.  And  thus  he  gives  "rain  and  drought," 
the  Lord  saith,  Amos  iv.  7.  *'  I  have  withholden  the  rain  from  you, 
when  there  were  yet  three  months  to  the  harvest,  and  I  caused  it  to 
rain  upon  one  city,  and  caused  it  not  to  rain  upon  another  city  ;  one 
piece  was  rained  upon,  an^  the  piece  whereupon  it  rained  not,  ^yith- 
ered."  See  Job  xxxvii.  6.  Isaiah  v.  6.  Jamts  v.  17,  1.8. (c)  The 
work  of  the  third  day  was  the  creation  of  the  heibs  and  plants..  The 
providence  of  God  extendeth  to  these  also,  and  therefore  "  herbs 
and  grass,  meat  and  drink"  come  from  God.  *'  He  causeth  the  gf ass 
to  grow  for  the  cattle,  and  herb  for  the  service  of  man  :  that  he  may 
bring  forth  food  out  of  the  earth,  Psalm  civ.  14.    Thus  also  '*  fruit 


2  U       THE  DOCTRINE  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE. 

ful  years  and  seasons"  proceed  from  the  Lord,  Acts  iv.  17  :  and  like* 
wise  "  barren  years,  when  he  muketh  the    heaven   as  iron,    and  the 
earth  as  brass,"  Lev.  xxvi.  I9.(d)     On  the  fourth  day  God  created 
the  lights  of  heaven.     He  takes  care  ol  these  also.     "  He  appointeth 
the  moon  for  seaisons,  the  sun  knoweth  his  going  down  :  he  maketh 
darkness,  and  it  is  night,"  Psalm  civ.  19,  20.     See  also  Job  ix,  7.(e) 
The  fishes  and  fowls  were  the  work  of  the  fifth  day.     And   God  at- 
tends to  these  also.     "  He  slew  the  fish  of  Egypt."   Psalm    cv  .  ^9, 
and  enabled  Peter  to  catch  a  great  multitude,  Luke  v.  5.  6.     "  He 
provideth  food  for  the  fowls,"  Jobxxxviii.  41.   Matt.  vi.   26.  yea,  the 
meanest  sparrow  falls  not  to  tlie  ground  without  your  Father,  Matt. 
X.  29. (f)     On  the  sixth  day  God  made  the  beasts  of  the  earth,  and 
*'*  he  takes  care  of  oxen,"  Deut.  xxv.  4.    I  Cor.  ix.  9.     God  directs 
even  vermin,  as  we  see    in  the    lice,   frogs,   and   locusts  of  Egypt, 
*'The  locust,  the  cankerworm,  the  caterpillar,  and  the  palmerworm, 
are  God's  great  army,"  Joel  ii.  25.     But  God  orders  and  directs  es- 
pecially man,  the  chief  of  all  the  works  that  he  hath  made,  and  that 
"vvith  respect  to  his  natural  and  spiritual   condition.     With  respect 
tjo  his  natural  condition,  the  providence  of  God   extends  (2)   to  his 
birth  and  life.     How  beautifully  doth  Job  describe  the  providence  of 
God  with  respect  to  his  birth  1     "  Hast  thou  not  poured  me    cut  as 
milk,  and  curdled  me  like  cheese  ?   thou  hast  clothed  me  with  skin 
an'd  flesh,  and  hast  fenced  me  with  bones  and  sinews.     Thou    hast 
granted  me  life  and  favour,  and  thy    visitation  hath    preserved  my 
spirit,"  Job  X.  10,  11,  12,     (2)  To  every  occurrence,  as  "  riches  and 
poverty."     For  "  the  Lord  maketh  pour  and  maketh  rich,  he  bringeth 
low,  and  lifteth  up,"   1  Sara.  ii.  7,  "  Health  and  sickness."    For  "  he 
rnaketh  sore  and  bindeth  up  ;  he    woundeth,  and  his   hands   make 
who^c,"  Job  V.  18,     War  and  peace.     "  He  maketh  peace,  and  crea- 
tetli  evil,"  Isaiah  xlv.  7.     "  Kings  obtain    victory   of  him."    Psalm 
cxliv.  10,     '^  The  horse  is  prepared  against  the  day  of  battle  ;    but 
safety  is  of  the  Lord,"  Prov.  xxi.  31.  Yea,   the    providence  of  God 
*'num.bers  also  the  hairs  of  our  head,"  Matt.   x.  30.    Luke  xxi.  18. 

(3)  The  providence  of  God  extends  to  all  the  voluntary  actions  of 
man,  as  "  his  thoughts,  his  downsitting,  uprisiujj:,  walking,  downly- 
jng,  ways  and  words,"  Psalm  cxxxix.  3,  3,  4.  This  is  evident  also 
from  Prov.  xvi.  9.   xxi.  1.     James  iv.    ^3,  14>  15.     1  Sara.   x.    26. 

(4)  Also  to  his  death,  tlie  manner,  the  time  and  the  place  of  his 
death  are  ordered  by  God  in  his  piovidence,  according  to  his  counsel. 
So  Job  speaks  to  the  Lord  concerning  man  :  "  Seeing  his  days  are 
determined,  the  number  of  his  months  are  with  thee  ;  thou  hast  ap- 
po.Dted  his  bounds  th:.t  he  cannot   pass,"  Job  xiv.  5,     Verily  the 


X.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  27,  28.  2B 

s^reatest  revolutions  depend  upon  the  death  of  men,  which  cannot 
happen  without  the  providence  of  God.  Did  the  Lord  add  fifteen 
years  to  the  life  of  Hezekiah,  Isaiah  xxxviii.  1 — 5,  lie  did  not  add 
them  to  the  ytars  which  he  had  decreed  that  he  should  live  ;  bwt  to 
to  the  life  of  Hezekiah,  when  he  should  otherwise  have  died  of  his 
deadly  -ickness ;  those  fifteen  years  also  showed  that  his  lifetime 
was  detennmed,  and  the  whole  procedure  of  God  in  that  affair  de- 
monstrates his  providence,  •*  Do  not  wicked  men  live  out  half  their 
days,"  as  David  speaks,  Psalm  Iv.  23,  this  doth  not  mean  that  their 
untimely  death  happens  M'ithout  the  providence  of  God,  l^ut  it  re- 
sjfects  only  a  possibility  of  their  living  longer,  and  their  injuring  and 
forfeiting  of  their  health  by  their  wickedness  ;  for  which  reason  God 
lakes  them  away  suddenly  in  his  anger.  (5)  The  providence  of 
God  extends  also  to  those  occurrences,  which  happen  to  a  man  acci- 
dentally without  any  direction  of  the  man  himself,  or  of  others  :  "  The 
disposing  of  the  lot  is  of  the  Lord,"  Prov.  xvi.  33.  Is  a  man  slain 
unawares,  "  God  delivers  him  into  the  slayer's  hand,"  Exod.  xxi, 
13.   compare  herewith,  Deut.  xix,  5. 

But  the  providence  of  God  extends  not  only  to  the  natural^  but  also 
to  the  moral  condition  of  man,  since  he  is  subject  to  God  as  his  law- 
giver :  **  The  Lord  is  our  judge,  the  Lord  is  our  lawgiver,  the  Lord 
is  our  king,"  saith  the  church,  Isaiah  xxxiii.  22.  The  Lord  mani- 
fests this  by  establishing  his  covenant  of  works,  and  of  grace  with 
man  ;  and  thus  "  God  works  in  him  both  to  will  and  to  do  after  his 
good  pleasure,"  Philip,  ii.  13,  and  he  inflicts  a  judgment  of  blindness 
and  hardness  upon  particular  persons..  We  shall  speak  of  this  more 
fully  hereafter. 

4.  God  exerciseth  his  p-^ovidence,  either  with  respect  to  the  es- 
sence and  existence  of  his  creatures,  or  with  respet  to  their  actions,  or 
with  respect  to  their  ends,  in  their  actions. 

With  respect  to  the  essence  and  existence  of  the  creatures,  the 
providence  of  God  consists  in  upholding  them,  by  which  he  causeth 
all  things,  which  he  hath  created  to  exist,  and  continue  in  being  : 
**  The  Lord  preserveth  man  and  beast,"  Psalm  xxxvi,  6.  "  By  him 
all  things  consist."  CqU.  i.  17.  God  upholds  some  things  with  re- 
spect to  their  essence,  as  the  heaven,  angels,  the  sun,  moon,  stars,  and 
the  earth  ;  these  are  all  still  the  same  that  they  were  when  they 
were  created  and  produced  :  he  upholds  others  with  respect  to  their 
kind  by  generation,  as  men,  beasts,  herbs,  and  plants.  God  upholds 
those  things  not  merely  by  not  annihilating  and  destroying  them,  as 
a  person  may  be  said  to  preserve  a  thini^  that  he  hath  made,  when 
he  doth  not  destroy  it,  which  is  the  notion  of  the   Pelagian^  concern- 


216      THE  DOCTRINE  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE. 

ing  this  matter  :  but  God  upholds  by  an  actual,  operative  and  pow- 
erful influence,  which  is  God's  almighty  and  every  where  present 
power :  for  we  cannot  otherwise  understand  how  '*  we  live,  move, 
and  have  our  being  in  God."  God's  upholding  is,  as  it  were,  his 
continual  creation,  as  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  when  they  ascribe 
honour  to  him,  Sviy,  Rev.  iv.  II,  "  Thou  hast  created  all  things, 
and  by  thy  will  they  are,  and  are  created."*  It  is  a  continual  vivifi- 
calion  of  them,  Neh.  ix.  6,  therefore  it  is  also  said.  Psalm  civ.  30, 
**  Thou  sendest  forth  thy  spirit,  they  are  created  ;  and  thou  renew* 
est  the  face  of  the  earth."  Yea,  this  upholding  is,  as  it  were,  a  bear- 
ing with  a  strong  hand  ;  "  God  beartth  all  things  by  the  word  of  his 
power,  t  Heb.  i.  3  ;  otherwise  the  creature  would  perish  of  itself, 
since  it  hath  nothing  in  itself  that  causesth  it  to  exist  in  future  :  and 
annihilation  takes  place  only  when  God  withholds  his  influence : 
^'  when  he  lets  his  hand  loose,  he  cuts  man  off,"  Job  vi.  9.  See  also 
Psalm  civ.  29. 

With  respect  to  the  actions  of  the  creatures,  the  providence  6f 
God  co-operates  with  them,  whereby  he  prevents,  excites  and  main- 
tains  their  motions  and  actions,  by  an  active,  but  secret  power,  so 
that  "  they  move  in  him,  for  the  Lord  works  both  to  will  and  to  do," 
Philip,  ii.  13.  "Il  is  God  himself  who  worketh  all  in  all,"  I  Cor. 
xii.  6.  Read  this  also  emphatically,  Isaiah  x.  5,  6.  It  is  not  there- 
fore enough  to  assert  a  general  preservation  of  the  creature's  power 
and  ability  to  act,  or  a  general,  undetermining  influence,  which  is  de- 
termined by  the  creature  itself,  as  the  wind  i.npels  the  ship  forward, 
while  it  nevertheless  moves  hither  and  thither  by  the  conduct  of  the 
steersman.  It  is  moreover  not  enough  to  assert  a  co-ordinate  acting 
of  God,  with  the  actions  of  the  creature,  as  the  Pelagians  speak ;  for 
this  renders  the  creature  in  its  actions,  independent  of  God,  and  God 
dependent  in  his  act  on  the  action  of  the  creature,  which  he  must 
only  follow  :  yea,  the  Lord  God  is  not  then  the  principal,  but  the 
3ubordinate  cause. 

With  respect  to  the  end  of  the  creature,  the  providence  of  God 
works  by  governing,  whereby  God  directs,  in  a  sovereign  manner, 
every  event,  and  the  designs  of  his  creaturf;s,Jto  certain  ends,  which 
he  himself  proposeth,  according  to  certain  laws  which  he  hath  given  ; 
"  His  dominion  is  an  everlasting  dominion,  and  his  kingdom  is  from 
generation  to  generation. '  And  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are 
reputed  as  nothing  ;  and  he  doth  according  to  his  will   in    the  army 

*  We  have  rendered  this  passage  accorcling  to  the  Dutch  translation, 
t  This  13  according  to  the  Dutch  translation* 


X.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  27,  28.  31/ 

of  heaven,  and  among  the  Inhabitants  of  the  earth  ;  and  none  can 
stay  iiis  hand,  or  say  unto  him,  whjit  dost  thou  i"  Dan.  iv.  34,  35. 
God  hath  for  this  purpose  given  his  creatures  certain  laws,  according 
to  which  he  governs  and  directs  them  ;  which  are  either  the  estab- 
lished order  of  nature,  which  God  hath  given  to  the  inanimate  crea- 
tures, so  "  that  hencefortii,  while  the  earth  remaineth,  seed-time  and 
harvest,  cold  and  heat,  summer  and  winter,  day  and  night,  shall  not 
cease,"  Gen.  viii.  22.  See  also  Jer.  xxxi.  35,  36,  or  the  natural  in- 
stinct of  animate  creatures,  according  to  which  they  perform  all 
their  actions  ;  "  Even  the  stork  in  the  hcavtns  knoweth  her  appoin- 
ted times,  and  the  turtle,  and  the  crane,  and  the  swallow  observe  the 
time  of  their  coming,"  Jer,  viii  7,  or  *'  the  royal  law,"  which  he  hath 
given  to  rational  creatures,  James  ii.  8.  Yea,  we  may  also  say,  thaS 
"the  counsel  of  the  Lord's  will,  after  which  he  worketh  all  things," 
is  the  law  of  the  Lord,  or  the  plan,  according  to  which  he  doth  all 
things.  According  to  these  laws  doth  God  govern  all  his  creatures, 
and  that  in  a  manner  suited  to  their  nature.  Doth  the  crcaiure 
swerve  in  any  instance  from  that  law,  either  by  some  miraculous  act 
of  God,  or  by  its  own  vice,  God  directs  it  in  such  a  manner,  that  it  is 
agreeable  to  his  decree,  and  issues  to  his  honour,  and  for  the  welfare 
of  the  good,  by  vvhich  the  Lord  always  obtains  the  end,  which  he 
proposeth,  even  against  the  purpose  and  end  of  the  creature.  This 
Joseph  observed,  when  he  said  to  his  brethren,  Gen.  1.  20,  **  Ye 
thought  evil  against  me,  but  God  meant  it  for  good."  See  Isaiah 
X.  5,6,7. 

5.  God  the  Lord  provides  for  all  his  creatures,  and  at  all  times,  in 
different  methods  ;  and  therefore  we  consider  providence,  as  (1)  me- 
diate and  immediate  :  the  mediate  providence  is  that  by  which  God 
provides  for  some  creatures  by  means.  The  Lord  saith,  Hosea  ii. 
21,  22,  "  I  will  hear  the  heavens  ;  and  they  shall  hear  the  earth  ; 
and  the  earth  shall  hear  the  corn,  and  the  wine,  and  the  oil  ;  and 
they  shall  hear  Jezreel,"  See  also  Psalm  civ.  13,  14,  15,  Rom  i, 
16.  X.  17.  Immediate  providence  is  that  by  which  God  provides 
for  some  things  without  means,  as  the  third  heaven,  and  the  angels  ; 
in  this  manner  the  Lord  also  provided  for  Moses  and  for  the  Lord 
Jesus,  forty  days,  without  the  means  of  meat  and  drink  ;  but  when  he 
makes  use  of  means,  he  doth  not  do  it  from  any  defect,  as  though  he 
had  need  of  them,  for  he  is  allsufficient ;  but  he  doth  it  from  his  c  ood- 
ness,  as  he  is  willing  to  honour  the  creature  by  making  it  his  fellow- 
worker.  See  1  Cor.  iii.  9,  For  he  makes  use  sometimes  of  the 
most  insignificant  means  :  three  hundred  men  sufficed  to  discomfit 
the  innumerable  host  of  the  Mtdianites.     God  sometimes  renders 

Hh 


?i«        THE  DOCTRIVE  OF  DiVlNE  PROVIt)ENC£.. 

the  most  powerful  means  inefficacious,  so  that  "  a  lun^  is  n©t  saved 
by  the  multitude  of  an  host ;  a  mighty  man  is  not  delivered  by 
much  strength.  An  horse  is  a  vain  tiling  for  safety  :  neither  shali 
he  deliver  any  by  his  great  strength,"  Psalm  xxxili.  16,  17.  G6d 
works  somttimes  in  a  manner  that  is  above,  and  contrary  to  the  na- 
ture of  the  means  ;  for  instance,  causing  that  the  fire  doth  not  burn  and 
simge,  Dan.  iii.  And  when  God  useth  means,  their  power  doth  still 
€lepend  on  him.  See  Deut.  viii.  3.  I  Cor.  iii.  5,  6.  (2)  Provi- 
dence is  also  distinguished  into  an  ordinary  and  extraordinary.  The 
ordin  .ry  providence  is,  that  God  works  according  to  the  ordinary 
and  established  course  of  nature  :  but  the  extraordinary,  or  super- 
ordinary  is.  that  Ciod  works  sometimes  above  the  ordinary  and  es- 
t.iblished  coiirse  of  nature,  by  a  miracle :  iov  instance,  when  God 
gives  bread  frOiti  heaven  brings  water  out  of  the  rock,  makes  the 
sun  and  inooii  stand  still,  effects  that  ti^e  cruel  lions  do  not  rend  Dan- 
iel, and  that  the  hungry  ravens  brinp^  Elijah  bread  and  flesh  :  which, 
and  like  wonders,  Got!  the  L&rd  ak)fie  can  do.  according  to 
Psalm  Ixxii.  18.  Psalm  cxxxvi.  4.  Are  they  sometimes  ascribed  to 
men,  it  i-i  only  because  they  were  mere  moral  instruments  by  their 
faith  and  pray crsv  See  Acts  iii.  12,  13,  16.  Miracles  or  wonders, 
are  certain  great  events^,  which  take  place  beside  the  ordinary  laws 
at  nature,  through  the  aim  ghty  power  of  God,  for  the  confirnjation 
of  the  divine  truth  :  but  we  riiay  not  look  upon  that  as  a  miracle, 
whichapersondothby  amo^re  than  ordinary  strength,  like  Samson  ; 
lor  that  is  only  an  increase  of  strength,  which  doth  not  exist  in  a 
miracle.  .Moreover,  it  doth  not  enter  into  the  nature  of  a  miracle, 
that  we  do  not  know  the  precise  reason  of  a  thing,  and  that  it  hap- 
pens s-ldom,  as  some  bpeak,  who  are  unwilling  to  allow  that  God 
ever  doth  any  thing  beside  the  laws  of  nature,  or  contrary  to  the 
estaoiished  motions  of  matter  :  for  when  we  speak  thus,  we  lessen, 
yea,  Ave  vilify  the  great  miracles  of  God  :  at  this  rate,  there  would 
ha])pen  many  miracles  every  day,  \thich  no  man  will  consider  as 
miracles,  because  we  can  assign  'he  precise  reason  of  but  few  of 
God's  works.  Can  we  discover  the  reason  why  the  iron  swims  upon 
the  water,  the  sun  and  moon  stand  stll.  and  the  fire  dotii  not  burn  ? 
Such  wonders  hath  God  sometimes  wrought,  in  order  to  confirm 
the  truth  :  but  shall  our  ignorance  of  the  precise  reason  of  such 
things  be  a  poweiful  confirmation  of  the  divuie  truth  ?{$'>  Finally, 
we  distinguish  the  providence  ol  God  into  a  common  and  special  pro- 
vidence. The  common  providence  is  tnat  by  which  he  showeth  fa- 
vour, irom  a  common  good-will  to  all  his  creatures  ;  yea,  to  the  un- 
godly, as  well  as  .to  the  godly  :  '*  God  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on 


X.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  27,  28.  219 

the:  evil  and  on  ihe  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  on  the  un- 
just,-' Matt.  V.  45.     The  special  providence  is  that  by  which  Cicd,  as 
a  Father  in  Christ,  from  a  special  good-will,  providrs  believers  with 
all'things  :  "  God  is  the  Saviour  of  all  men,  tsperitiUy  of  those  that 
believe,"  I  Tim.  iv.  10.     See  Psalm  Ixxxiii.  God  gives  in  the  leust 
f^ift  also  himself  and  his  Son  to  believers,  as  his  children  and  heirs : 
but  he  withholds  himself  from  others,  although  he  gives  them  also 
jnany  gifts,  as  we  give  a  begj^ar  an  alms  from  a  common  food  iiuli- 
nation  to  him,  but  do  not  unite  ourselves  to   him.   do  not  take  him 
into  our  house,  or  make  him  our  heir,  as  though  he  were  our  child. 
6.  But  what  dotli  the  carnal  mind  object  here,  by  the  putrons  of 
Pelagianism.  ?  (1)  That  to  take  care  of  the  smallest  thinf,s  with  so 
much  labour  and  trouble,  agrees  not  with  the  exalted  dignity  of  God. 
But- if  it  aerecd  with  the  exalted  dignity  of  Gcd  to  create  those  thiiK^s., 
it  can  also  to  take  care  of  them.    It  doth  not  occasion  God  t}i-  l.ofd 
more  labour  and  trouble  to  take   care  of  %hf  smaHes'  thinprs,  than 
the  greatest;  for  he  doth  all  thirds   with  a  word  and  a  beck  :  "He 
Gpeaks,  and  it  is  done  ;  he  c<^mm  nds,   and   it  stands  fast,"  Psalm 
Kxxiii   9.     While  he  provides  for  small  things,   he  doih  not  nef'lect 
great  things,  like  a  king,  w' o  by  frequeiiily  employing  hims'^lf  with 
.  inferior  things,  would  overlook  those   that  '^n'e  most  weighty  ;  yea, 
by  the  meanest  things,  God  often  accomntishes  the  grfatest  matters, 
as  by  means  of  hce,  frogs,  locusts,  and  all  kinds  of  vtrm'n  he  meek- 
ened  the  stubborn  Pharaoh,  obliged  him  to  acknowledpe  his  hand, 
and  delivered   his  people.  (2)  T'jiey  also  object  that  all  things  hap- 
pen then  necessarily,  and  notliing  by  chance,  when  nevertheless  the 
word  of  God  oCten  sptaks- of  things  v.'hich  happen  by  chance,   as  we 
see  Ruth  ii.  3.   2  Sam.  i.  6.   xx    1.  Luke  x.  31.     But  we  say,  that 
with  respect  to  the  Lord,  nothing  happens  by  chance,  since  then 
many  things  which  depend  upon  such  a  chance,  would  happen  be- 
side providence ;  for  how  can  it  be,  that  any  event  should  ocettr  in 
-the  kingdom  of  God,   without  his  cognizance  and  direction,   and 
.  wherein  he  should  not  take  any  concern.    Those  things  that  happen 
to  us  by  chance  often  disconcert  us  e^itirely,  and  compel  us  to  es- 
tablish a  totally  different  order  than  before.     Can  now  things  which 
happen  by  chance  disconcert  God  likewise,  so  that  he  should  be 
obliged  to  accommodate  himself  to  those  things  ?  what  must  we  not 
admit,  if  v/e  will  be  Pelagians  ?  It  is  true,  many  things  happen  to 
us  by  chance,  but  this  is  so,  not  with  rtspect  to  Gcd,  but  with  respect 
to  ua,  who  cannot  foresee  nor  direct  such  things.  (3)  They  say  also, 
that  5uch  an  efficacious  providence  and  co-operation  of  God  in  and 
'f.vith  the  actions  of  xht  creatures,  destroys  the  liberty  of  human  ac- 


220        THE  DOCTRINE  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE. 

tions.  This  must  be  allowed  by  those,  (although  many  of  them  abhw 
such  a  consequence,  and  therefore  deny  it)  who  say  that  the  soul  is 
a  mere  thouij^ht,  and  is  unable  to  act  upon  any  body,  and  that  the 
body  is  in  like  manner  unable  to  act  upon  the  soul  :  but  that  God 
effects  Ufon  each  thought  of  the  soul,  immediately  a  correspondent 
motion  in  the  body ;  and  upon  each  motion  of  the  body,  a  corres- 
ponilent  thought  in  the  soul ;  and  that  therefore  the  reasonable  crea- 
ture is  not  the  true  author  of  its  actions.  Whither  this  tends  we  may 
see  in  -pinoza,  Van  Hattem,  Letnhof  and  Bril,  who  assert  either  in 
a  more  publick,  or  in  a  more  private  manner,  that  the  rational  crea- 
ture is  not  active,  but  passive,  and  that  God  works  all  in  all,  and  that 
there  is  nn  difference  between  virtue  and  vice,  and  that  whoever 
maintains  a  difference  between  virtue  and  vice,  sins,  and  is  not  in  the 
Spirit,  but  in  the  flesh  :  and  would  we  know  the  secret  ?  it  is  this ; 
man  is  not  a  substantial  being  by  himself,  distinct  from  God,  but 
subsists  in  God,  and  is  only  a  form  and  mode  of  God  ;  that  is,  the 
world  is  God,  and  we  and  all  other  creatures  are  forms,  modes  and 
parts  of  God.  Is  it  necessary  to  confute  this  opinion  ?  will  it  not  suf- 
fice to  mention  it,  in  order  to  shame  it,  and  induce  every  one  to 
abhor  it  ?  is  it  not  a  denial  of  divine  providence  ?  doth  it  not  make 
God  the  author  of  the  most  abominable  enormities  ?  and  doth  it  not 
unman  man  ?  Who  dolh  not  know  of  himself,  that  he  is  a  substantial 
bemg  distinct  from  God  ?  that  he  apprehends  by  his  spirit  ?  that  he 
himself  judges,  assents,  denies,  reasons,  follows  his  judgment,  pro- 
poseth  an  end  to  himself,  excites,  urges,  moves,  and  acts  himself  by 
that  end,  that  he  may  by  certain  means  attain  unto  his  end  ?  It  is 
true,  God  works  effectually  in  and  with  the  working  of  his  creatures  ; 
but  this  doth  not  hinder  man  from  acting  willingly,  and  from  being 
a  real  author  of  his  actions  ;  for  God  doth  not  act  man  by  a  violent 
urging  of  his  will,  as  a  person  moves  a  stock  or  a  stone,  but  in  a 
reasonable  manner,  agreeably  to  his  nature,  enabling  us  to  under- 
stand, judge  and  will  by  objects,  and  by  an  inward  light  and  motion  ; 
so  that  understanding,  judging  and  willing  are  our  actions,  r.s  much 
as  eating,  drinking,  standing,  walking  and  lying  down,  are  our  ac- 
tions, and  not  God's,  although  he  works  effectually  in  and  with  us, 
when  we  do  an  action  ;  for  actions  belong  to  him,  who  is  the  next 
subject  of  them.  (4)  Finally,  they  pretend  that  by  asserting  such  an 
efficacious  providence,  we  make  God  an  author  of  sin  ;  but  our  doc- 
trine canrot  be  charged  with  such  a  consequence ;  for  we  are  far 
from  holding  such  an  evil  opinion,  and  say.  "  Far  be  it  from  God, 
that  he  should  do  wickedness,  and  from  the  Almighty,  that  he  should 
commit  iniquity.**    But  doth  not  the  word  of  God  use  as  forcible 


X.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  27,  23.  22l 

expressions  concerning  the  providence  of  God,  with  respect  to  sin, 
as  any  of  our  divines  ?  for  we  read  that  '*  God  hardens  and  blinds 
the  hearts  of  men,"  Exod.  vii.  3,  Roin.  ix.  27,  18,  Isaiah  vi.  9,  10, 
« that  he  turned  the  hearts  of  the  Egyptians  to  hate  his  people," 
Psalm  cv#.25,  "  that  he  said  to  Shimei,  Curse  David,"  2  Sam.  xvi. 
10,  *'that  he  gave  Israel  up  to  their  own  hearts*  lust,  so  that  they 
walked  in  their  own  counsels,"  Psalm  Ixxxi.  12.  *'  that  he  gave  the 
heathens  up  to  uncleanness,  and  to  a  reprobate  mind,  to  do  things 
which  are  not  convenient,"  Rom.  i.  24 — 28,  *nhat  he  send^"  the  fol» 
lowers  of  the  man  of  sin  "  a  strong  delusion,  that  they  should  be- 
lieve a  lie,"  2  Thess.  ii.  11,  and  other  expressions  of  a  similar  nature. 
To  explain  these  and  such  sxpressions  in  the  Pelagian  way,  of  a  bare 
permission,  is  weakening  the  force  of  the  words,  and  being  wilfully 
bhnd ;  therefore  if  these  words  of  God  signify  any  thing  at  all,  it  is  the 
same  with  what  we  teach,  to  wit,  that  sin  happei*eth  according  to  the 
determinate  counsel  and  foreknowledge  of  God,  agreeably  to  Acts  ii. 
23.  iv.  27,  28.  Isaiah  xlviii.  8,  that  God  marks  it  carefully  and  re- 
gards it,  Job  xxxiv.  21,  22,  and  particularly,  which  is  the  principal 
subject  of  controversy  here,  that  God  powerfully  co-operates,  not  with 
and  in  sin,  but  in  the  actions  of  men,  which  are  sinful.  If  this  be 
not  so,  the  above  cited  and  other  expressions  of  God's  word  are  ua- 
intelUgible  with  respect  to  this  matter. 

In  order  to  illustrate  this  somewhat  more  fully,  we  must  consider 
sinfulness  with  respect  to  its  beginning,  progress  and  end. 

,  With  respect  to  the  beginning  of  sin,  the  providence  of  God,  works 
sometimes  by  hindering  and  restraining  it :  thus  "  God  withheld 
king  Abimciech  from  sinning  against  him,"  Gen.  xx.  6.  David 
prayed  for  this.  Psalm  xix.  13.  At  other  times  by  permitting  it, 
not  by  giving  license  to  sin,  but  by  not  hindering  it :  and  that  not 
like  a  mere  spectator ;  for  this  militates  against  the  above  mentioned 
expressions,  but  by  a  powerful  permission,  which  is  certainly  follow- 
ed by  sin.  For  (a)  God  suflers  occasions  to  occur  to  the  sinner, 
which  are  in  themselves  good,  but  which  the  sinner  abuses  by  his 
sinfulness,  tis  Abel's  acceptable  sacrifice  to  Cain,  Joseph's  dreams  to 
his  brethren,  the  request  of  Moses  to  Pharaoh,  that  he  would  let 
Israel  go,  as  also  the  word  of  grace  to  reprobates,  Rom.  ii.  4,  5.  2 
Cor.  ii.  15,  16.  (b)  God  also  withholds  his  restraining  grace,  where- 
upon the  sinner  indulges  himself  in  sin,  as  *'  when  the  Lord  forsook. 
Hezekiah,  his  heart  was  lifted  up,"  2  Chron.  xxxii.  31.  God  doth  not 
sin,  when  he  acts  thus,  since  he  is  not  bound  to  bestovi^  his  grace- 
upon  man,  in  order  that  he  may  not  sin.  (c)  The  Lord  God  some- 
times also  gives  the  sinner  up  to  himself,  to  sin,  and  to  the  enexnie5> 


%2t        THE  DOCTRINE  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE, 

who  are  then  also  let  loose  on  him :  "  God  gives  him  up  to  his  lusts^ 
to  vile  affections,  and  to  a  veprobate  mini,"  Rom,  i.  24,  26,  28.  bee 
also  I  Kings  xxii.  25^,  23.  1  iSam.  xxiv.  1,  compared  with  1  Chron* 
xxi.  1.  2  J  hess.  li.  9,  10.  And  in  all  this  God  manifests  himself 
holy  and  just,  punisliing  one  sm  with  another,  Psalm  Ixxxi.  U,  12. 
Horn  i.  22 — 28.  With  respect  to  the  pro^.ress  of  sm,  the  pron- 
denc  of  God  works  by  limiting  it,  tiiat  it  may  not  proceed  further 
tijan  the  bounds  which  he  hath  appoi'.ted.  When  the  devil  bereaved 
Job  of  his  goods,  he  might  not  at  first  touch  his  body,  and  alterwards 
he  was  obliged  to  spare  his  life,  Job  i.  12.  ii.  6, 

With  respect  to  the  end  of  sin,  the  providence  of  (iod  works  by 
directing  it  to  the  destruction  of  the  ungodly  :  *^  He  sends  them  a 
strong  delusion,  so  that  they  believe  a  lie,  that  they  may  all  be  dam- 
ned," 2  Thess.  ii.  11,  12,  and  to  the  good  of  liis  peoph,  as  we  see 
in  the  selling  of  Joseph,  Gen.  xlv.  8.  1.20,  and  in  the  delivering  up 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  Acts  ii.  23.  iv.  27,  28,  and  also  to  their  humilia- 
tion, "  that  they  may  not  be  exalted  above  measure,  because  of  the 
excellency  of  their  revelation,"  2  Cor.  xii  .7.  But  the  Lord  doth  more 
especially  direct  sin  most  wisely  to  the  honour  of  his  justice,  grace 
and  mercy,  which  are  manifested  ;nost  gloriously  upon  occasion  of 
sin,  Rom.  iii.  25,  26.  v.  10.  xi.  32. 

Whence  it  appears  then  plainly,  that  the  doctrine  of  effectual  pro- 
vidence doth  not  make  God  an  author  of  sin  :  especially  since  God 
neither  advises  nor  commands,  nor  works  sin  by  his  providence : 
moreover,  we  ought  to  know  that  sin,  being  a  defect,  and  not  some- 
thing that  hath  a  real  being,  hath  not  properly  a  working,  but  only 
a  defective  author,  to  wit,  the  sinner  himself ;  furthermore,  the  sin- 
Ker  commits  sin  horn  his  own  inclination,  and  is  not  compelled  to  it 
by  providence  :  we  say  also,  that  the  action  of  God  with  respect  to 
sin,  even  his  v/orking  the  physical  a^t,  is  good,  but  it  becomes  cor- 
rupt through  the  corruption  of  man,  as  a  lame  f<)ot  causes  a  horse 
to  halt,  but  not  the  action  of  the  rider,  who  drives  the  horse.  Doth 
our  dojctrine  still  remain  somewhat  obscure,  it  ought  not  to  create 
•<4ny  prejudice  against  it,  inasmuch  as  no  creature  may  undertake  to 
fathom  all  the  judgments  of  God,  which  are  a  great  deep,  for  they 
are  unsearchable  and  past  finding  it.  « 

7.  Without  doubt  the  whole  universe  is  subject  to  the  providence 
cf  God.  We  have  indeed  proved  tiiis  with  respect  to  each  part  in 
particular  from  the  word  of  God  ;  but  we  v/ill  now  prove  this  matter 
iVom  reason,  that  our  minds  may  be  more  fully  persuaded  of  it.  This 
truth  appears  then,  (a)  from  the  nature  of  God,  unto  whom  the  whole 
creation  is  subjvict,  and  who,  on  account  of  his  supremacy  and  sp\= 


X.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  27,  28,  22« 

treign  dominion,  cannot  discharge  bimself  from  directing  and  pro- 
viding iov  his  creatures,  any  more  than  be  can  be  unwilling  that 
they  should  acknowledge  his  glory  (b)  The  nature  of  the  creature 
also  teacheth  us  this,  since  it  is  so  empty  and  defective,  that  it  can- 
not provide  for  itself,  all  things  must  come  and  be  brought  to  \t  from 
without,  (c)  Contemplate  the  perfection,  beauty,  order  and  stability 
of  the  universe.  Yea,  though  all  the  elements  frequently  seem  to 
dash  and  b^at  one  against  another,  as  if  heaven  and  earth  would  re- 
turn to  their  first  nothing,  nevertheless  all  things  abide  in  their  pro- 
per state  ;  yea,  all  these  commotions  only  contribute  to  preserve  the 
vast  creation. 

Who  doth  not  tiow  know  by  all  these  things,  that  the  baad  of  the 
Lord  hath  wrought  tbis  ?  (b)  We  shall  not  speak  now  of  the  won- 
derful and  extraordinary  events,  nor  of  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophe- 
cies,  which  are  related  in  the  scriptures  :  attend  only  to  this,  that  if 
no  universal  Ruler  directed  whatsoever  comes  to  pass,  how  should 
good  men  be  able  to  quiet  and  comfort  themselves  in  all  their  tribu- 
lations ?  would  noc  their  condition  be  worse  than  that  of  the  wicked  ? 

It  is  indeed  true,  that  sometimes,  through  the  divine  direction  of 
providence,  there  are  righteous  persons,  to  whom  it  happeneth  accor- 
ding to  the  work  of  the  wicked,  and  wicked  persons,  to  whom  it  hap- 
peneth according  to  the  work  of  the  righteous ;  but  this  is  not  so 
with  respect  to  things  that  are  essential,  to  wit,  having  God  for  our 
father  and  our  portion,  and  enjoying  his  love,  which  is  the  chief  and 
only  real  good  ;  but  only  with  respect  to  visible  things,  which  are 
not  essential  ?  It  is  true,  it  sometimes  greatly  afflicts  and  disturbs 
the  godly,  when  they  see  that  the  wicked  are  often  preferred  by  pro- 
vidence before  them  ;  but  the  joy  of  the  wicked  is  only  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  they  are  afterwards  cast  down  into  destructioji,  when  God 
despiseth  their  image  :  on  the  contrary,  tlie  sorrow  of  the  upright 
doth  not  last  long,  but  hath  soon  an  end  ;  and  then  they  will  be  for 
ever  with  the  Lord ,  for  he  holdeth  them  by  their  right  hand,  he 
will  guide  them  with  his  counsel,  and  afterwards  receive  them  to 
glory.     See  more  of  this  in  the  seventy-third  Psalm. 

II.  We  should  speak  now  to  the  second  general  head,  according 
to  the  twenty-eighth  question,  "  What  ad^^antage  is  it  to  us  to  know 
that  God  hath  created,  and  by  his  providence  doth  still  uphold  all 
things  ?"  The  instructor  mentions  three  great  advantages  of  this  ; 
first,  *'  that  we  may  be  patient  in  adversity  ;'•  secondly,  "  that  we 
may  be  thankful  in  prosperity  j"  and  finally,  **  that  in  all  things 
which  may  hereafter  befall  us,  we  place  our  firm  trust  in  our  faith- 
ful God  and  Father  ;"  the  reason  of  which  i»  assigned  in  that  which 


%U        THE  DOGTRINL  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE. 

followeth,  ''  since  all  creatures,"  Sec.  but  we  shall  not  speak  of  these 
several  things  at  present,  but  (kfer  them  to  our  application. 


APPLICATION. 

Behold  then  this  precious  and  profitable  truth  of  God's  efTectual 
providence  ;  but  how  is  it  practically  denied,  and  shamefully  oppo- 
sed in  our  Christian  nation,  even  by  those,  who  confess  it  in  words  J 
For, 

1.  Many  see  not  the  hand  of  God  in  that  which  befalls  them. 
Do  they  look  downward,  or  do  they  lift  their  eyes  upward,  do  they 
receive  meat  or  drink,  are  they  in  health  or  sick,  are  thy  rich  or 
poor,  they  see  not  in  all  these  thinf;!:s,  that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  hath 
•wreught  this ;  tliey  act  as  if  they  were  Epicureans,  fancying  that 
God  doth  not  attend  to  the  things  on  earth,  and  that  all  things  hap- 
pen only  by  chance  :  or  like  the  l^toics,  they  imagine  a  fate,  and  that 
every  vicissitude  and  event  happens  necessarily,  because  from  the 
beginning  of  the  creation  ail  thinf';-s  have  continued  as  they  are  now  ; 
or  with  the  Peripatetics,  they  think  that  all  sublunary  things  arc  gov- 
erned by  tlie  heavenly  ?  and  thus  they  cry  aloud  with  their  actions, 
*'The  Lord  will  not  do  good,  neither  will  he  do  evil,"  Zeph-  i.  12, 
**■  And  hov/  doth  God  know  ?  can  he  judge  through  the  dark  cloud  ? 
thick  clouds  are  a  covering  to  him  that  he  seeth  not,  and  he  walketh 
in  the  circuit  of  the  heaven,"  Job  xxii.  13,  14.  The  proper  work  of 
the  v/iched,  "  who  through  the  pride  of  his  countenance  will  not 
peek  after  God  ;  God  is  not  in  all  his  thoughts,"  Psalm  x.  4.  For, 
didst  thou,  hearer,  see  with  observation  a  God  in  all  those  things, 
would  not  a  sense  of  a  God,  a  wonder,  and  a  holy  awe  for  him  pos- 
sess thy  soul  ?  but  now  men  do  not  attend  to  him  with  their  hearts, 
and  tiiey  walk,  as  it  were,  without  God. 

2.  This  appears  still  moi'e,  because  they  will  take  care  of,  and  di- 
rect all  things  themselves.  They  propose  some  advantageous  end 
to  themselves  ;  and  in  order  to  obtain  it,  they  devise  means,  and 
fTideavour  to  execute  them ;  this  is  in  itself  acting  in  a  rational 
manner  ;  but  it  is  acting  in  a  brutal  manner,  not  to  do  this  in  obedi- 
ence to  God,  and  not  to  expect  a  happy  isstie  from  him,  but  from 
ourselves,  from  onr  own  wise  management  and  diligence  ;  "  this  is 
rayint;,  to-day  or  to-morrow  we  will  go  into  such  a  city,  and  con- 
tinue there  a  year,  and  buy,  and  sell,  and  get  gain  ;"  (and  thus  men 
conduct  in  all  their  undertakings)  "whereas  they  know  not  what 
shall  be  on  the  moirow.     For  that  they  onght  to  say,   if  the   Lord 


•     X.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  2r,  28.  325 

will,  we  shall  do  this  or  that,"  James  iv.  13,  14,  15.  Doth  their  un- 
taking  prosper,  they  bless  themselves,  because- they  obtain  the  desire 
of  their  souls,  they  wonder  at  their  own  wisdom  and  ability  ;  and 
»<  say  in  their  hearts,  our  power  and  the  might  of  our  hands  hath 
gotten  us  this  wealth,"  Deiit.  viii.  17,  and  thus  "they  sacrifice  to 
their  own  net,  and  burn  incense  to  their  own  drag  ;  because  by  them 
their  portion  is  fal,  and  their  meat  plenteous,"  Hab.  i.  16.  But  doth 
their  conduct  and  their  labour  not  speed  well,  they  either  fret  at 
themselves,  or  they  blame  this  or  that  event  ;  but  God  is  not  uc- 
knowleged  in  it. 

3.  Do  they  acknowledge  a  providence,  it  is  only  from  hearsay, 
and  because  they  either  cannot  from  ignorance  gainsay  it,  or  be- 
cause for  fear  of  reproach  they  dare  not  ;  for  it  appears  that  the  di- 
vine providence  doth  not  influence  their  hearts,  since,  (a)  they  abuse 
it  to  slothfulness  and  sluggishness,  and  do  not  make  use  of  proper 
means,  in  order  to  execute  the  designs  of  providence.  The  sluggard 
thinks  that  God  will  provide  for  him  :  is  one  compelled  by  his  lust 
to  a  shameful  marriage,  he  pacifies  his  co?iscience  by  thinking 
that  such  a  partner  was  allotted  him  by  divine  providence:  must  he 
suffer  through  his  own  misconduct,  he  comforts  himself  with  the 
providence  of  God,  and  he  hardens  himself  against  his  suffering  :  is 
he  cast  upon  the  bed  of  sickness,  he  will  not  make  use  of  medicines, 
because  he  persuades  hiuiself  that  if  ihe  appointed  time  of  his  death 
be  not  come,  he  will  certainly  recover;  and  if  that  time  be  come, 
medicines  cannot  avail  :  doth  he  begin  to  think  of  salvation  and 
damnation,  because  he  will  not  be  in  earnest,  he  thinks,  if  I 
be  elected,  I  shall  be  saved  ;  and  if  I  be  a  reprobate,  I  shall  cer- 
tainly be  damned  :  what  then  can  all  my  endeavours  to  be  saved 
profit  me  ?  as  if  God  would  show  his  providential  kindness  to  tho' e 
who  despise  his  institutions.  When  God  hadpiomised  that  not  one 
of  those  who  were  in  the  ship  with  Paul  should  perish  in  the  ship- 
wreck, and  they  sought  to  flee  out  of  the  ship,  "  Paul  said  to  the 
centurion,  except  these  abide  in  the  ship,  ye  cannot  be  saved,"  Acts 
xxvii.  31.  Though  the  divine  appointment  concerning  man  be 
ever  so  certain,  God  will  nevertheless  not  execute  it,  but  by  a  dili- 
gent use  of  the  means  (b)  Because  men  become  heartless  and  fret- 
ful on  account  of  adversities,  they  will  not  submit  to  the  hand  of  the 
Lord,  nor  be  meek,  but  they  struggle  against  him,  they  strive  with 
the  Almighty,  even  when  they  suffer  the  smallest  misfortune,  and 
when  the  wind  and  weather  are  not  as  they  wish:  Yea,  "  if  the 
sinner  be  hardly  bestead  and  hungry,  he  will  fret  himself  and  curse 


i!Si6      THE  DOCTRINE  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE. 

his  Gcd,"  fsa-ali  viii.  21  ;  and  he  will  sometimes  make  a  desperate 
attempt  to  deliver  himself  without  God  by  some  horrible  action,  like 
the  k.  nij  of  Israel,  wiio  would,  in  the  gieat  famine,  take  off  the  head 
of  Elisha.  saymg;,""  Behold,  this  evil  ib  of  the  Lord;  what  should  I 
Mait  for  the  Lord  any  Ioniser  ?"  2  Kin^js  vi.  33.  But  "  the  Lord  is 
%yise  in  heart,  and  mi.^hty  in  strenii,th  ;  who  hath  hardened  himself 
ag-dinst  him,  and  prospered?"  Job  ix  4.(c)  Because  they  are  envi- 
ous and  grudge,  when  another  fares  better  than  they  :  the  sinner 
will  cavil  at,  and  argue  against  the  conduct  of  God,  and  ask  why  he 
Cloth  not  favour  him,  as  well  as  this  and  that  person  :  but  "  wo  to 
him  that  striveth  with  liis  Maker;  let  the  potsherds  strive  with  the 
potsherds  of  tl^e  earth:  shall  the  clay  say  to  him  that  fashionelh  it, 
what  makcst  thou  ?  or  thy  work,  He  hath  no  hands?"  Isaiah  xlv« 
9.  "  Is  it  not  lawful  for  him  to  do  what  he  will  with  his  own?  is 
thine  eye  evil  because  he  is  good  ?"  (d)  Because,  when  they  enjoy 
any  favourable  dispensation  of  providence,  they  forget  God,  they  for- 
saKe  him,  and  light  against  him  with  his  blessings,  and  employ  them 
as  "  weapons  of  unrijrhteousness,  saying  to  God,  Depart  from  us, 
and  what  hath  the  Almighty  done  ?  yet  he  filled  their  houses  with 
good  things,"  Job  xxii.  17,  18,  like  "  Jeshurun,  who  when  he  was 
waxen  fat,  kicked ;  then  he  forsook  God  who  made  him,  and  lightly 
esteemed  the  rock  of  his  salvation,"  Deut.  xxxii.  15. 

O  horrid  !  that  a  creature  should  not  acknowledge  his  Creator, 
and  Benefactor.  What  is  this  but  a  denial  of  God,  and  of  his  allup- 
holding,  v/orking  and  directing  hand  ?  A  brutish  stupidity,  which 
doth  not  look  upward  The  Lofd  v/ill  compel  you  to  acknowledge 
his  hand,  when  he  will  afflict  and  distress  you  to  the  uttermost. 
j\ttend  to  what  the  church  saith,  Isaiah  xxvi.  10,  II.  "  Let  favour 
be  showed  to  the  wicked,  yet  will  he  not  learn  righteousness :  in  the 
}and  of  uprightness  will  he  deal  unjust'y,  and  will  not  behold  the 
majesty  of  the  Lord.  Lord,  when  thy  hand  is  lifted  up  they  will  not 
see  :  but  they  shall  see  and  be  ashamed."  Nourish  yourselves  like 
an  ox  for  the  day  of  slaughter,  the  Lord  will  one  day  exert  his 
almighty  arm  for  your  destruction,  unless  ye  be  converted  :  for 
"  because  ye  regard  not  the  works  of  the  Lord,  nor  the  operation 
of  his  hands,  he  will  destroy  you,  and  not  build  you  up,"  Psalm 
xxviii.  5. 

Therefore  ye,  who  do  not  know  nor  acknowledge  the  hand  of  the 
Lord,  and  live  altogether  without  God,  O  seek  to  obtain  an  interest 
in  his  special  and  fatherly  providence,  and  to  become  his  children. 
O  seek  him  for  this  purpose  ;  for  God  hath  created  you,  and  pro- 


X.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q    27,  28.  227 

vkles  for  you,  "  that  ye  should  seek  the  Lord,  if  haply  ye  might  feel 
after  him,  and  firid  hina,  thoa^^li  he  be  not  far  from  every  one  of  us  : 
for  in  him  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being,"  Acts  xvii.  27, 
28,  "  Receive  his  Son  by  faith,  that  ye  may  obtain  power  to  become 
the  sons  of  God,"  John  i.  12. 

But  ye,  O  believers,  who  have  tjie  great  Crea'or,  the  almighty 
and  every  where  present  Provider  of  the  universe  for  your  Father, 
und.r  whose  special  and  favourable  providential  care  ye  are  placed, 
who  are  the  blessing  in  the  cluster  of  our  grapes,  for  whose  sake 
they  are  yet  spared,  and  who  are  therefore  the  holy  seed,  the  support 
of  the  land,  conduct  yourselves  worthily  of  your  Creator,  and  allsuf- 
ficient  Pro.vider,  and  therefore, 

1.  Attend  diligently  to  all  that  ye  see  and  hear,  that  ye  may  be- 
hold the  almighty  and  every  where  present  hand  of  C.od  in  it,  as  the 
sun  in  a  glass.  *'  Whoso  is  wise,  and  will  observe  these  things,  even 
they  shall  understand  the  lovingkindness  of  the  Lord,"  Psalm  c.vii. 
43.  We  should  pause  at  every  event,  and  consider  that  it  comes 
not  by  chance,  l)ut  by  his  fatherly  hnnd  Obstrve  how  wondt;rtiilly 
God  orders  matters  with  respect  to  you,  in  eiving  you  breath  and 
life,  and  all  things  ;  look  at  the  meat  and  drink  on  your  tables,  con- 
sider why  ye  have  just  this  grain  from  tlie  field  for  your  bread,  this 
fowl  of  the  air,  tha  flesh  of  this  beast,  this  fish  of  the  sea  or  river: 
bow  many  have  laboured  at  it,  before  it  was  brought  lo  you  :  what 
wisdom,  what  power,  what  goodness :  \vhut  care  your  Father  hath 
bestowed,  in  his  love  to  you,  to  furnish  you  with  it,  even  you  in  par- 
ticular, who  are  so  unworthy  :  *■•  Lift  up  your  "^yes  on  high,  and  be- 
hold, who  hath  created  these  things,  that  bringeth  out  their  hos^  by 
number:  he  calleth  them  all  by  nam^es,  by  the  greatness  of  his  might, 
because  he  is  strong  in  power:  not  one  faileth,"  Isaiah  xl.  26.  How- 
was  David  transported  at  this  in  the  eighth  psalm  1  Yea,  "  ask  now 
tlie  beasts,  and  they  shall  teach  thee  i  and  the  fowls  of  'he  air,  and 
they  shall  tell  thee  ;  or  speak  to  the  earth,  and  it  shall  teach  thee, 
and  the  fishes  of  the  sea  shall  declare  unto  thee.  Who  knoweth  not 
in  all  these,  that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  hath  wrought  this?"  Job  xii- 
7 — 10.  With  Isaac  we  should  go  out  into  the  field,  that  our  medi- 
tation of  the  Lord  may  be  sweet : 

Facii  plant  that  we  behold, 
Each  herb  that  we  do  see. 
The  praise  of  God  proclaims, 
And  saith.  Attempt  by  me 


228       THE  DOCTRINE  OF  DIVINE  PROVIDENCE. 

To  learn  how  wise,  how  good, 
IJow  [)leasant  is  the  J^ord  ! 
How  passing  sweet.   He  doih 
What  e'er  i  am  afford. 

A  child  of  God  ought  certainly  to  be  reproved,  when  he  looks  only 
at  his  state  of  grace,  that  we  miy  see  God  in  that, and  reckons  it  too 
ignoble  a  work  for  a  citizen  of  heaven  to  contemplate  the  whole  gov- 
ernrpent  of  God  in  the  universe,  as  if  this  were  too  low  an  employ- 
meiu  ior  liim :  no,  this  rejoices,  this  enlivens,  this  causes  that  God 
besets  us  befoiC  and  behind?  it  discovers  the  divine  perfections  to  us, 
and  enraptures  the  soul.  See  this  Psalm  civ. 

2.  Let  a  holy  fear  and  awe  for  God,  who  manifests  himself  worthy 
to  be  feared  in  tliis  great  work  of  providence,  fall  on  your  souls : 
**  For  the  Lord  is  a  threat  God,  and  a  great  King  above  all  gods :  in 
his  hand  are  the  deep  places  of  the  earth,  the  strength  of  the  hills  is 
his  also.  The  sea  is  his,  and  he  made  it  ;  and  his  hands  formed  the 
dry  land,"  Psalm  xcv.  3,  4,  5i  "  I  know  that  the  Lord  is  great,  and 
that  our  Lord  is  above  all  Gods.  Whatsoever  the  Lord  pleased, 
that  did  he  in  heaven,  and  in  the  earth,  and  in  the  seas,  and  all  deep 
p'aces,"  Psalm  cxxxv,  5,  6.  Who  would  not  then  fear  him,  for  to 
him  doth  it  appertain,  and  he  manifests  himself  incomparably  glo- 
rious in  all  that  he  doth  :  *■'  Let  all  the  earth  therefore  fear  the  Lord; 
let  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  stand  m  awe  of  him  :  for  he  spake, 
and  it  was  done  ;  he  commanded,  and  it  stood  fast,"  Psalm  xxxiii. 
8,  9,  See  what  the  Lord  saith,  Jer.  v.  22.  Surely  a  todly  person 
ought  not  to  be  like  the  ungodly,  "  who  say  not  in  their  hearts ;  Let 
us  now  fear  the  Lord  our  God,  that  giveth  rain,  both  the  former  and 
the  lalier  rain  in  his  season:  he  reserveth  unto  us  the  appointed 
weeks  of  harvest,"  Jer.  v.  24. 

3.  Be  patient  in  adversity,  that  is,  composed  and  calmly  resigned 
to  'he  Lord,  l)y  which,  from  a  view  of  the  sovereignty  and  justice  of 
God,  and  from  a  sense  of  our  own  demerits,  we  submit  willingly  to 
the  Lord,  bow  to  him,  and  praise  him,  yea,  even  thank  him  with 
silent  satisfaction  So  Aaron  acted  when  his  two  sons  were  consum- 
ed by  that  most  dreadful  judgment,  even  fire  from  heaven.  Lev.  x. 
3.  "  And  .iaron  held  his  peace."  When  the  Lord  threatened  to  in- 
flict the  most  fearful  plagues  upon  Israel,  upon  Eli,  and  his  house, 
Eli  said,  "  It  is  the  Lord,  let  him  do  what  scemeth  him  good,"  1 
Sam.  iii.  18.  "It  is  good  for  me  that  I  have  been  afflicted,"  said 
David,  Psalm  cxix,  71.     How  well  did  Job  demean  himftelf  under 


X.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  27,  28.  2^ 

all  those  gnevous  afflictions,  which  befell  him,  Job  i.  21,  22,  "  He 
said,  The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away  ;  blessed  be  the 
name  of  the  Lord.     In  all  this  Job  sinned  not,   nor  charged  God 
foolishly."     See  how  he  reproves  his  impatient-  wife.  Job  ii.  9,  10. 
And  this  becomes  you  also,  believers  ;  for  nothinc;  comes  to  you  by 
chance,  but  by  his  fatherly  hand  :    *«  For  affliction  doth  not  come 
forth  out  of  the  dust,  neither  doth  trouble  spring  out  of  the  ground," 
Joi3  V.  6.    '   Promotion  cometh  neither  from  the  east,  nor  from  the 
west,  nor  from  the  south  :  but  God  is  the  judge  ;  he  putteth  down 
one,  and  setteth  up  another,"  Psalm  Ixxv.  6,  7.  For  "  he  is  the  Lord. 
he  doth  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  according  to  his  will ;  who 
can,  or  dares  stay  his  hand  ?  or  say  to  him,  What  dost  thou  ?"     Dc 
ye  not  deserve  the  most  grievous  afflictions  ?  is  not  he  happy  whom 
God  chastiseth,    that  he  may  not    be  condemned    with  the  world  ? 
We  are  never  taught   better  by  Go<3,  than   when   he  chastises  us  ; 
yea,  if  we  considered  this  matter  aright,  we  should  glory  in  tribula- 
tion, because  tribulation  worketh   paiieneet  experience,   and  hope% 
Will  your  impatience,  frctfulness,  peevishness,  and  striving  with  the 
Lord  deliver  you  from  your  affliction  ?    will  ye  not  thereby   render 
your  boiids  stronger  ?     Yes,  but,  say  ye,  if  my  trouble  proceeded 
immediately  from  God,  1  could  bear  it ;    but  this  and  that  persoD, 
from  whom  I   did  not  expect  it,  and  of  whom  I  do  not  deserve  it, 
inflicts  it  upon  me.     Will  ye  then,  like  the  dog,  bite  the  stone,  and 
not  look  up  at  him  who   casts  it  ?     ^*  W^ho  is  he  that   saith,  and   it 
cometh  to  pass,  when  the  Lord  commandeth  it  not  ?    doth  not  both 
good  and  evil,  proceed  out  of  the  month  of  the  Most  High  ?  where- 
fore doth  a  livmg  man  then  complain  ?     Let  every  man  complain  on 
account  of  his  sins,"  Lam.  iii.  37 — 39.     Conduct  therefore  like  Da- 
vid, who,  when  Shimei  cursed  him,  and  Abishai  would  on   that  ac- 
count take  off  his  head,  said,  *'  So  let  him  curse,  because  the  Lord 
hath  said  unto  him,  curse  David.     Who  then   shall  say  unto  him, 
H'herefore  hast  thou  done  so?"  2Sam.  xvi.  10. 

4.  Be  thankful  in  prosperity,  by  which,  from  a  sense  of  cur  un- 
wortliiness,  and  a  view  of  the  preciousness  of  the  benefits,  we  are 
concerned  to  know  what  we  shall  render  unto  the  Lord,  and  in  the 
mean  time  acknov.ledge  his  free  favour  with  our  hearts,  words,  and 
actions,  by  ourselves,  and  with  others.  So  David  acted.  Psalm cxvi^ 
12,  13,  14,  "  What  shall  I  render  unto  the  Lord,  for  all  his  bene- 
fits toward  mc  ?  I  will  take  the  cup  of  salvation,  and  call  upen  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  I  will  pay  my  vows  unto  the  Lord,  now  in  the 
jrc^ence  of  all  his  people."     This  is  also  your  duly,  b^slieverfs ;  foV 

\  "^Ve  have  r<?rd€i?d  \].h  passage  accoitlingto  the  Dutcli  traryslatian. 


130        THE  DOCTRINE  0F  DIVINE  PROVIDENXE. 

whatever  ye  have  enjoyed  Vrlth  respect  to  your  soul  or  body,  or  do 
yet  possess,  or  expect  hereafter,  it  "was  not  brought  to  you  by  any 
■creature,  nor  by,  nor  on  account  of  yourselves  :  ♦*  For  who  maketh 
you  to  differ  from  another  ?  and  what  have  ye  that  ye  have  not  re- 
ceived? now  if  ye  have  received  it,  why  do  ye  glory,  as  if  ye  had 
not  received  it?"  1  Cor.  iv.  7.  But  '*  all  things  are  of  him,  and 
through  him,  that  they  may  be  to  him,  and  that  ye  may  give  him 
honour  and  glory,"  Rom.  xi.  36.  Endeavour,  as  constrained  in  a 
holy  manner  by  the  gracious  providence  of  God,  to  praise  him  with 
a  holy  solicitude  and  admiration,  and  to  employ  yourselves  wholly  in 
his  service ;  this  is  required  of  you,  Rom.  xii.  1. 

5.  In  all  things  which  may  hereafter  befall  you,  place  a  firm  trust 
in  your  faithful  God  and  Father.  A  believer  is  often  anxious  and 
concerned  how  he  shall  pass  through  the  world  with  honour,  ho^v  he 
shall  obtain  his  bread  and  clothing  ;  he  is  afraid  of  these  and  those 
evil-minded  persons,  of  diseases,  and  a  painful  death  ;  yea,  the  devil 
acts  the  prophet  with  him,  telling  him  that  this  and  that  misfortune 
■will  yet  befall  him,  which  therefore  disturbs  him.  But  the  creation 
and  providence  of  his  faithful  God  and  Father  teaches  him,  that  he 
ought  to  place  a  firm  trust  in  the  Lord,  by  which  he  attains  to  a  holy 
carelessness  concerning  future  events,  commits  himself  in  all  things 
to  the  Lord  with  a  believing  confidence,  tranquil  hope,  and  expecta- 
tion placed  on  him,  that  he  will  bring  it  to  pass.  This  is  the  duty  of 
believers  according  to  Psalm  xxxvii.  5,  '*  Commit  thy  way  unto  the 
Lord  :  trust  also  in  him,  and  he  shall  bring  it  to  pass,"  1  Peter  v.  7. 
Let  your  souls  then  exercise  themselves  herein  ;  for  the  Lord  is  a 
faithful  God,  he  doth  not  forsake  the  woik  of  his  hands  :  "  He  is  a 
faithful  Creator,  to  whom  ye  must  commit  yourselves  in  welldoing," 
1  Pet.  iv.  19.  He  is  your  Father:  a  father  will  sure'y  provide  for 
his  children.  What  can  the  creatures  do  to  you  ?  They  are  all  sr» 
in  his  hand,  that  without  his  will  they  cannot  so  much  as  move  ;  they 
are  but  "  as  the  staff  m  his  hand,"  Isaiah  x.  5,  15.  God  hath  takers 
upon  himself  to  care  for  you  ;  will  ye  then  take  the  work  out  of  his 
hand  by  caring  for  yourselves  :  therefore  "  cast  all  your  care  upon 
him,  for  he  careth  for  you,"  1  Peter  v.  7.  <*  He  takes  care  of  the 
grass,  and  tiie  fowl?  ;  and  will  he  not  attend  to  you  ?'*  JNIat.  vi.  2  6, 
'J8,  29,  30.  He  takes  care  of  the  greater,  your  body  and  life,  which 
ye  have  not  by  your  own,  but  by  his  care  ;  will  he  then  neglect  your 
smaller  affairs  ?  "  Is  not  the  life  more  than  meat,  and  the  body  than 
raiment,"  Mat.  vi,  25.  Yea,  "  he  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but  de- 
livered him  up  far  you  all :    how  shall  he  not  thc-n  with  'nim  freely 


X.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  27,  28.  231 

give  you  all  things  ?"  Rom  viii.  53.  Your  care  cannot  avail  ;  "  Ye 
cannot  by  taking  thought  add  one  cubit  to  your  stature,"  Matt,  vi- 
27.  Yea,  let  whatever  will  befall  you,  no  creature  shall  be  able  to 
separate  you  from  the  love  of  God,  according  to  his  words  by  the 
apostle,  Rom.  viii.  35,  37,  38,  39,  "  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the 
love  of  Christ  ?  shall  tribulation,  or  distress,  or  persecution,  or  fa* 
mine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword  ?  Nay,  in  all  these  things 
we  are  more  than  conquerors  through  him  that  loved  us.  For  I  am 
persuaded,  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities, 
nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor 
depth,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the 
love  of  God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord."    Amen, 


(  232  ) 

JESUS,  THE  ONLY 
COMPLETE  SAVIOUR, 


XI.  LORD'S  DAY. 


Matt.  i.  21.  And  she  shall  bring  forth  a  Son,  tnd  thou  shalt  call  his 
name  Jesus  :  for  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins. 

Q.  29.    JV/iy  is  the  Son  of  God  called  Jesus ,  that  is^  a  Saviour? 

A.  Because  he  saveth  us,  and  delivereth  us  from  our  sins ;  and 
likewise,  because  we  ought  not  to  seek,  neither  can  find  salvation  in 
any  other. 

Q.  30.  Do  such  then  believe  in  Jesus  the  only  Saviour,  'who  seek 
their  salvation  and  happiness  of  saints^  of  themselves,  or  any  where 
else  ? 

A.  They  do  not  ;  for  though  they  boast  of  him  in  words,  yet  in 
deeds  they  deny  Jesus  the  only  Deliverer  and  Saviour  ;  for  one  of 
these  two  things  must  be  true,  that  either  Jesus  is  not  a  complete 
Saviour  ;  or  that  they  who  by  a  true  faith  receive  this  Saviour  must 
find  in  him  all  things  necessary  to  their  salvation. 


A^ 


.S  it  is  necessary  to  know  and  believe  in  God  the  Father,  so  it 
is  not  less  necessary  to  know  and  believe  in  God  the  Son.  There- 
fore the  Lord  Jesus  said,  John  xiv.  1,  *<  Ye  believe  in  God,  believe 
^Iso  in  me."    For  he  who  knows  and  believes  only  in  the   Father, 


XI.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  29,  30.  233 

and  not  in  the  Son,  knows  indeed  that  he  is  become  a  man  by  crea- 
tion and  providence,  and  that  he  is  a  sinner  by  breakin^^-  the 
covenant  of  works  :•  but  -he  doth  not  know  how-  he  may  become 
a  Christian,  and  be  saved ;  for  "  this,"  saith  the  Saviour,  Jolin  xvii. 
3,  *•  is  life  eternal,  tliat  they  might  know  thee  the  only  true  God,  and 
Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast  sent."  Yea,  we  do  not  know,  nor  be- 
lieve in  the  Father  without  the  Son  ;  for  "whosoever  denieth  the 
Son,  the  same  hath  not  the  Father,"  1  John  ii.  23.  God  is  also  not 
a  fiither,  neither  is  he  known  as  such,  except  with  relation  to  his 
Son,  "who  iS  the  brightness  of  his  Father's  glory^,  and  the  express 
image  of  his  Person,"  Heb.  K  3.  "  He  who  seeth  the  Son,  seeth 
the  Father  also,  because  the  Son  is  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in 
the  bon,"  John  xiv.  9,  10.  It  is  also  the  Son  only,  who  reveals  the 
Father  to  sinners  :  "No  man  knoweth  the  rather,  save  the  Son, and 
he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal  him,"  'VJatt.  xi.  27.  The 
same  is  said  also,  John  i.  18.  Yea,  on  this  account  also,  God  the 
Lord  irradiates  the  sinner  with  his  light,  that  he  may  behold  his 
glory  in  his  ^on  :  "  For  God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine 
out  of  darkness,  hath  shined  in  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,"  2 
Cor.  iv.  6.  Therefor^  the  ancients,  in  their  creeds,  conduct  us  not 
only  to  the  knowledge  and  belief  of  the  Father,  as  Creator,  but  also 
of  the  bon  as  Deliverer  ;  which  order  the  instructor  also  following, 
conducts  us  from  the  knowledge  and  belief  of  the  Father,  to  the 
knowledge  and  belief  of  the  Son.  In  order  now  that  we  naay  know 
and  believe  in  him,  we  are  instruc'ed  in  three  particulars.  1,  His 
names,  Jesus  Christ,  m  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  Lord's  days.  2»  His 
divine  nature,  government,  and  human  nature  in  the  thirteenth  and 
fourteenth  Lord's  days.  3,  His  states  in  the  fifteenth,  sixteenth,' 
seventeenth,  eighteenth  and  nineteenth  Lord's  days.  Jn  this 
Lord's  day,  the  name  of  Jesus  is  spoken  of,  which  signifieth  that  he 
is  the  only  and  complete  Saviour ;  as  now  the  ceconomy  of  the 
Father  is  referred  to  the  creation,  so  that  of  the  Son  is  explained  of 
redemption,  which  he  effects  by  his  names,  natures  and  states. 

In  this  Lord's  day  we  have  two  important  particulars  proposed  for 
our  consideration. 

I.  Our  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  that  he  is  the  only  and  complete 
Saviour  Question  29. 

II.  The  memner  in  which  this  great  truth  is  denied  by  some,  who 
are  not  of  our  church,  Question  SO. 

I.  Our  whole  faitli  in   this  matter  is  compreliended  in  one  word, 
*hat  the  Son  of  God  is  called  "  Jesus."     lie  is  also  surnamed  Christ, 

Kk 

( 


2S4     JESUS  THE  ONLY  AND  COMPLETE  SAVIOUR. 

on  account  of  his  three  offices,    Malt,  xxvii.  22.     On  account  of  his 
human  nature  he   calls  himself "  the  bon  of  man,"  Matt,   xvi    IS. 
From  his  Godhead  he  is  naaied  "  Jehovah,  the  Lord.  God."  Hosea 
i-  7      From  the   union  of  his  two  natures  he  is  calkd  Ira'/^anuel," 
Isaiaii  vii.  14.     On  account  of  his  humiliation,  ''a  worm,  he  whom 
man  (!es{>iseth,"  Psalm  xxii.  6,  Isaiah  xlix.  7.  On  account  of  his  ex- 
altation  he   hath  a  name,   which  is   above  eVery  name,   that  every 
tonj^ue  should  confess  that  he  is  Lord,"  Fhilio.  ii.  9,  11.  And  because 
)ie  obtains  justification  and   every  kind  of  salvation  for  his  people, 
therefore  his  name  is,  "  Tne  Lord  our  rii^htcousness,"  Jer.  xxiii.  6- 
Vca  because  he  is  all  in  all,  he  is  named  *'  David,  The  Word,  Wis- 
dom,  'ihe  Lion,.  The  Lamb,  Th^  Hoot  of  David,  The  Amen,  The 
f^khfui  y.nd  true  Witness,  The  Beginning  of  the  creation,  Head, 
Leader,  Teacher,    Shepherd,    Bridegroom,  Sun,  Morning-stai,  Life, 
Rock,"  and  to  sum  up  all  in  one  word,  "  he  is-called  Wonderful, 
Gounsellor,  The  Migiity  God,.  The  Evtjrlasting  Father,  The  Prince 
of  peace,"   Isaiah  ix.  5.     But  the  nanie  Jesus   is  his  proper  name, 
which  name  alone  expresseth   the   virtue  of  all  those  other  names. 
Therefore   it  behooves  u&  to  kno.\v   what  this  name  signifielh  ;  for 
which  purpose  we  must-  not  betake  ourselves  to  the  Greeks,  but  to  the 
Hebrews,  from  whose  lang^uage  this  name  is  derived,  and  who  pro- 
nounce it,  according  to  the  namre  of  their  language,  Joshua,  or  Hosea-, 
or  that  it  may  contain  all  the  letters  of  that  name  of  God.   which  is 
his  memorial,   Jehoshua,  the  v^aviour  of  the  Lord,  or  Save  Lord,  as 
Joshua  was  called  with  design,  vjshen  his  name  Hoshea  was  changed 
into  Joshua,  or  Jehoshua,  Num.  xiii.  16,  which  name  the  Greeks, 
according  to  their  manner  of  pronunciation,  call  Jesous,  and  we  Jesus, 
signifying  Preserver,  Deliverer,  Saviour*  Many  other  men  have  had 
this  name,  and  particularly  Joshua,   who  led  the  children  of  Israel 
into  Canaan,  Heb.  iv.  8,  and  Joshua,  the  Son  of  Josedek  the  high 
priest,  Zech.  iii.  1.  vi.    11    They  were  both  holy  men,  who  obtained 
a  great  salvation  and  deliverance  for  Israel;  but  the  Son  of  God  hath 
inherited  this  name  in  a  more  excellent  manner  than  those  most 
worthy  men  ;  for  they  were   mere  men,  but  our  Jesus  is  also  the 
true  God   and  eternal   life  :  they  w<  i  e  his  servants,   and-  he  is  their 
Lord  :  they  procur.'d  only  a  certain  outward  salvation  for  the  people 
of  God,  but  he  a  spiritual  and  eternal :  we  can  considei   them  at  the 
best  only  as  types,  but  we  must  honour  him,  as  their  antitype:  they 
rxtccived  their  name,  f>r  aught  that  we  know,  of  men  only,  but  the 
Son  of  Gor)  obtained  his  of  his  Father  by  an  ani^el,  Matt.  i.  21,  25, 
Luke  ii.  2  1,  that  we  might  acknowledge  and  receive  him  upon  thc^ 
authority  of  God,  as  the,  true  Saviour  of  sinners. 


XI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  29,  30.  336 

Havrng  proposed  this  in  general,  we  must  in  the  next  place  inquire 
why  the  Son  of  Gcd  is  called  Jesus,  thut  is,  buviour.  In  order  to 
consider  this  formally,  we  will  attend  lo  three  particulars,  1.  How 
he  saves,  2.-  That  he  alone  is  the  Saviour,  and  3.  that  we  must  be- 
lieve in  hii^  as  s-uch;* 

I .  We  must   in  the  first  place,   we  say,   inquire  how  he  saves. 
Every  person  must  consider,  with  a  detestation  of  himself,  with  shame 
und  sorrow,  that  he,  -nd  the  whole  world  is  gudty  before  God,  that 
he  is  a  child  of  wr..th  by  nature  on  account  of  his  sins,  whether  ori- 
ginal or  actual,  whereby  he   halh  subjected   himself  to  guilt,  wrath 
and  condemnation  ;  yea,  thtil;  he  neither  knows,  how,  nor  is  able,  nor 
willing,   to  deliver   himself:  "  Because  the  cainal   mind  is  enmity 
against  God,  it  is  not  subject  to  the  law  of  God,  neither  indeed  can 
be,"  Rom.  viii.  7.    But  Jesus,  the  Saviour  saves  the  elect  sinner,  and 
delivers  him  from  sin.     What  is  salvation?  may  it  be  asked  bere. 
It  is  a  deliverance  from   the  {greatest  evil,  namely  sin,  which  is  in 
itself  evil  and  bad,    renders  the   sinner  guilty,  and  subjects  him  to 
every  kind  of  punisliment.  temporal  and  eternal.   The  Saviour  thei  e- 
[  fore  saves  by  delivering  his  people  from  their  sins,  which  David  cele- 
brates, Psahii  XXX.  8.  '^He  shall  redeem  Israel  from  all  his  iniqui- 
ties."    This  is  the  lea^^on  that  the  angel  assigns  why  he   should  be 
called  Jesus  ;  "  For  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  s'ns."     And 
truly  he  delivers  his  people  not  only  from  original  sin  before  baptism, 
but  also  from  actual  sins  ;  and  not  only  from  the  guilt,  but  also  from 
the  punishment  of  sin  ;  and  not  only  fr«rn  temporal,  but  also  fioni 
.    eternal  punishrneiit.     AH   which    we  maintain,  ag-ainst  the  Papists, 
because  *'  he  redeems  Israel  from   all  his  iniquities,  and   his  blood 
cleanseth   from   all  sin,"  Psalm   cxxx.   8.  1  John  i.  7,  and  because 
*'  there  is  no  condemnation  to  th^m  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus,"  Rem., 
viii.  I.  But  salvation  consists  not  only  in  deliverance  from  lh6  great- 
est evil,  but  also  in  having  and  possessing  the  greatest  gnod,  namely, 
God,  by  seeing,  enjoying  him,  being  conformed  to  him  in  holiness, 
and  praising  him/.     This,  yea,  ti  is  alone  can  So  fully  satisfy  the  ra- 
tional creaiure,  that  it  desires  nothing  besides  him  in  heaven,  or  on 
earlh  :  "  Fulness  of  joy  is  in  his  presence,  at  his  right  hand  there 
are  pleasures  for  evermore."  Psalm  xvi.  1 1.  Since  sin  separates  man 
from  God,  and  Jesus  delivers  him  from   sin,   therefore  he   procures 
for  him  also  this  fellowsb.ip.  and  the  salvation  of  God  ;  for  "  he  obtains 
for  him  not  only  forgiveness  of  sin,  but  also  «n  inheritance  among 
the  saints,"  Acts  xxvi.  18. 

But  doth  he  save  only  by  revealing  the  way  of  salvation,  and  con- 
firming his  revelation  by  miracles,  a  holy  life,  and  a  patient  death  ? 


236     JESUS  THE  ONLY  AND  COMPLETE  SAVIOUR, 

Yea,  he  hath  done  this  also  to  procure  the  salvation  of  the  sinner  s 
for  "  he  hath  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  through  the  gos-. 
pt-l,"  2  Tim  i  10.  But  this  alone  was  not  sufficient :  the  sinner  is 
subject  to  guili  and  to  the  wrath  of  Ciod,  this  was  to  be<satisfied  and 
borne,  as  we  have  shown  on  ihe  fourih  and  fifth  Lord's  days.  And 
therefore  Jesus  saves, 

L  As  he  purchaseth  salvation  by  satisfying  the  justice  of  God, 
according  to  tie  demind  of  the  law,  by  whict  he  endured  .»11  the 
grievous  punishment  of  the  sinner  in  his  stead,  that  he  might  dehver 
him  from  condemn'ation  :  "  Surely  he  hath  borne  our  griefs,  and 
carried  our  sorrows  ;  he  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was 
bruised  for  our  iniquities  ;  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon 
him,  and  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed,"  Isaiah  hii.  4.  5.  Yea, 
*•  Christ  hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a 
curse  for  us,"  Gal.  iii.  13.  This  also  became  Ged  :  "For  it  became 
him,  for  whom  are  all  things,  and  by  whom  are  all  things,  in  bring- 
ing many  sons  to  glory,  to  make  the  Captain  of  their  salvation  per- 
fect through  sufferings,"  Heb.  ii.  10.  Yea,  he  hath  not  only  delivered 
them  from  condemnation  through  his  suffering,  by  making  satisfac- 
tion to  tJic  vindictive  justice  of  God,  according  to  the  threatening  of 
the  law  ;  but  he  hatli  also  purchased  salvation  fbr  them  by  obeying 
God  in  their  stead,  according  to  the  condition  of  the  law  ;  "  The  man 
who  doth  these  tilings  shall  live  by  them;"  for  his  whole  life  was 
spent  in  domg  that  which  was  pleasing  to  God  ;  he  even  suffered, 
"  in  order  to  obey  his  father, unto  death,"  Philip,  ii.  8.  Now  he  did 
not  do  this  so  much  for  himself,  but  as  Surety  for  the  elect ;  by  which 
he  also  saves  them,  and  merits  salvation  for  them  ;  "For  as  by  one 
man's  disobedience  many  were  made  sinners,  so  by  the  obedience  of 
one,  many  shall  be  made  righteous,"  Rom  v.  19,  and  thus  the  right- 
eousness of  the  law  is  fulfilled  in  us,"  Rom.  viii.  4,  and  "  Zion  is 
redeemed  by  judgment."  Isaiah  i.  27.  "  The  Lord  of  hosts  is  ex- 
alted in  judgment,  and  God  that  is  holy  is  sanctified  in  righteous- 
ness," Isa^h  V.  16. 

2.  Jesus  saves  also  by  an  effectual  application  and  communication 
of  tliis  purchased  salvation  to  the  sinner.  Truly  the  sinner  cannot 
do  this  himself,  although  his  understanding  were  ever  so  enlightened 
■with  resp'xt  to  the  purchased  salvation,  and  the  means  whereby  it  is 
communicated  lo  him  ;  is  his  will  free,  he  hath  nevertheless  no  ability 
to  effect  this  .  "  he  is  holden  with  the  cords  of  bis  sins  :"  he  would 
be  obliged  to  change  his  heart,  to  give  himself  faith,  to  justify,  sanc- 
tify and  preserve  himself;  for  this  there  is  need  of  nothing  less  than 
the  exceeding  greatness  of  God's  power,  according  to  the  working 


XL  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  29,  30.  33? 

of  his  mighty  power,  which  he  wrought  in  Christ,  when  he  raised 
hira  from  the  dead.  And  therefore  it  is  the  work  of  the  great  God 
and  Saviour  alone,  who  was  for  this  purpose  after  his  humiliation* 
«  exalted  to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give  repentance  to  Israel, 
and  forgiveness  of  sins,"  Acts  v.  31.  '*  For,  if  when  we  were  enemies, 
we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son  ;  much  more 
being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  his  hfe,"  Rom.  v.  10.  There- 
fore he  also  prays,  as  a  high  priest,  who  is  gone  into  the  true  sanc- 
tuary, for  those  whom  he  hath  delivered,  that  the  Father  would  help 
them  and  would  not  withhold  from  them  the  purchased  salvation. 
See  John  xvii,  where  he  presupposeth  his  exaltation,  as  though  he 
were  already  in  heaven  :  therefore  the  apostle  glorying  in  this 
privilege,  s^iith,  Rom.  viii.  S3,  34.  "  Who  shall  lay  any  thing  to  the 
charj^e  of  God's  elect  ?  it  is  God  that  justifieth  :  who  is  he  that  con- 
demneth  ?  Ii  is  Christ  that  died,  yea,  r^tther,  that  is  risen  again,  who 
is  even  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  who  also  maketh  intercession  for 
us  "  As  Jesus  also,  exulted  to  be  a  Saviour,  hath  sent  his  Spirit, 
that  he  may  by  him  cause  "  the  rebellious  to  dwell  with  him,  and 
that  they  may  praise  him,  as  a  God  of  perfect  salvation,"  Psalm 
Ixviii.  18,  19,  20. 

He  doth  not  apply  salvation  instantaneously,  but  progressively. 
First  in  this  life,  so  that  he  saves  the  elect  sinner  even  in  this  life, 
Titus  iii.  5,  he  doth  this  by  bestowing  on  him  all  the  blessed  and 
saving  benefits  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  even  by  "  rep-enerating  and 
renewing  him  by  the  Holy  Spirit,"  Titus  iii.  5,  by  "  calling  him  with 
a  holy  calling,"  2  Tim.  i.  9.  For  by  this  he  is  brought  to  the  feilovr- 
ship  of  the  Son  of  God,  the  Saviour,  1  Cor,  i.  9,  by  "giving  him 
faith,"  whereby  he  is  saved,  and  appropriates  the  Saviour  to  nimself, 
Eph.  ii.  8.  John  i.  12,  by  •*  justifying"  him,  by  which  he  is  absolved 
from  guilt,  and  the  purchased  salvation  is  imputed  to  him,  Rom.  iv, 
6,  7,  8,  by  giving  him  peace  and  joy  through  the  Holy  Ghosi,"  Rom. 
xiv.  17,  by  granting  him  a  hope  that  maketh  not  ashamed,  by  which 
he  is  saved  even  at  present,  Rom.  viii.  24.  Coll.  i.  27,  by  imparting 
to  him  "  the  adoption  of  children,"  and  the  Spirit,  whereby  he  hath 
'4  free  access  to  the  Father,  and  is  made  an  heir  of  salvation,  Gal. 
iv.  5,  6,  by  sanctifying  him,  which  is  the  beginning  of  his  glorifica- 
tion, I  Peter  i.  5.  John  x.  28.  But  he  also  renders  him  a  perfect 
partaker  of  salvation  after  this  life  at  his  death  :  the  believer  is  pro- 
nounced blessed  immediately  after  his  death,  Rev.  xiv.  13.  "Laza- 
rus dying,  his  soul  was  forthwith  carried  by  angels  into  Abraham's 
bosom,"  Luke  xiv.  22,  and  the  Saviour  said  to  the  converted  thief, 
Luke  xxii.  43«  «  To  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise  ;"  by 


238    JESUS  THE  ONLY  AND  COMPLETE  SAVIOUR. 

which  we  cannot  understand  some  happy  place,  different  from  the 
third  heaven  itself,  whither  Christ  ascended,  when  he  was  exalted, 
and  where  hesitieth  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  Heb  i.  3,  where  Paul 
should  be,  after  he  was  dissolved.  Phil,  i-  23.  As  Christ  is  a  Saviour 
of  the  whvole  man,  therefore  he  will  save  the  body  also  by  raising  it 
from  the  dead,  uniting  it  to  the  soul,  and  taking  it  up  to  him  into 
heaven,  1  Thess.  iv.  16,  17,  18, 

In  the  second  place,  Jesus  alone  is  the   Saviour.     The    Father  is 
also  the  Saviour  and  the  Holy  Ghost  also ;  for  he  accomplisheth  the 
salvation  of  the   sinner;  for  we  read  of  "  the  kindness  of  God  our 
Saviour,  who  hath  saved  us  by   the   renewing   of  the   Holy    Ghost, 
which  he  shed  on  us  abundantly  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour," 
Titus  iii.  4,  5,  6.     But  the  Father  hath  appointed  his   Son  to  be  a 
Saviour,   and  committed  the    work  of  salvation  to  him   as  an   office, 
and  hath  therefore  ordered  that  all   fulness    should  dwell  in     him, 
which  the  Holy-Ghost  communicates  to  the  people  of  Jesus.     See 
this  John  xvi.    13,  14,    1 5.     And    so   Jesus   alone    is    the   Saviour: 
*'  There  is  salvation  in  none  other :  for  there  is  no  other  name   un- 
der heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  we  must   be  saved,"    Acts 
iv.  12.     He  himself,  who  is  the  Amen,  the   faithful  witness,    saiih, 
<^  I,  even  I  am  the  Lord,  and  beside  me  there  is  no  Saviour,"  Isaiah 
xliii.  n.     Thus   he  speaks  of  himself  also,   Isaiah  xlv.   21.     Hosea, 
xiii.  4,  and  no  marvel,  for  (a)  he  only  hath  the, necessary  qualifica- 
tions of  a  Saviour.     He  who  shall  be  a  Saviour  of  sinners  must  be  a 
real  and  righteous  man,  and  very  God  and  man  in  one  person,  as  we 
have  proved  upon  the  fifth  and  sixth  Lord's  days.     Now  there  is  no 
such  person  but  Christ ;  for  ''  thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  King  of  Israel, 
and  his  Redeemer,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  I  am  the  first,  and    I  am  the 
last,  and  bestdes  me  there  is  no  God."  Isaiah  xliv.  6.  (b)     To  this  we 
add  also,  that  he  is  the  perfect  and  allsuflicient  Saviour.     "  This  God 
is  our  salvation,  Selah.      This  God  is  a    God  of    perfect  salvation 
to  us,"   Psalm  Ixviii.   19,20,     "Wherefore  he  is  also  able  to  save 
them  to  the  uttermost,  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them,"  Heb.  vii.  25.     See  also  Heb. 
X.  14.     And  verily  believers  find  all  things  in  him  necessary  to  their 
salvation.     It  is  necessary  to  their  salvation,  that  it  should  be  pur- 
chased for  them  by  suift^ring  and  obedience,  and  that  it  should  be 
applied  by  all  kinds  of  grace  in  and  aft^r  this  life.     Now  believers 
have  all  this  in  him,  as  we  have  shown  !above  t  it   therefore  follovv- 
eth  that  he  alone  is  the  Saviour,  and  that  there  is  no  other  besides 
him.     Will  ye  have  more  ?  we  say  (c)    toat   salvation  is  not  to  be 
sought  nor  lound  in  any  other  ;  for  salvation  is  not  to  be  sought  nor 


XI.  LORD'S  D^Y,  Q.  29j  30,  259 

found  in  the  saints,  no  not  in  Mary  ;  for  even    she  had  need  of  a 
Saviour:  for,  ''her  spirit  rejoiced  in  God  her  Saviour,"  Luke  i.  47. 
The  church  also  sought  no  salvation  in  "Abraham  or  Israel,  for 
they  were  ignorant  of  her,"  Isaiah   Ixiii.  16.     Further,   salvation  is 
not  to  be  sought  nor  found  in  ourselves  :  for  man  is  in  himself  guilty, 
a  child   of  wrath,  dead   in  trespasses  and  sins,  he  cannot  of  himself 
submit  to  the  law,  his  righteousnesses   are  as  filthy  rags  ;  if  he  shall 
be  saved,  it  must  be  through  the  kindness  of  his  Saviour  :  and  "  by 
the  grace  of  God  he  is  what  he  is,"  though  he  were  even   like  Paul, 
1  Cor.  XV.  10.     Neither    is  salvation   to  be   sought  or   found    any 
where  else  :  not  in  ministers,  though  when  they  are  faithful,   "  they 
save  both  theniselves,  and  those  who  hear  ihem,'*^  I  Tim.  iv.  16,  for 
they  do  not  save  in  any  other  way,  than  by  directing  sinners  to  Je- 
sus.    See  this  concerning  Paul  and  Timothy,  2  Cor.  iv.  5.  7.  "  We 
preach  not  ourselves,  but  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,  and  ourselves  your 
servants  for  Jesus  sake.     But   we  have  this  treasure  in  earthen  ves- 
sels, that  the  excellency  of   the  power  may  be  of  God,   and  not   of 
us."     See  also  1  Cor.  iii.  4 — 9.     Man    is   saved   by    the  word,  but 
only  as  it  leads  him  to  the  Saviour,  and  as  God  works  by  it  through 
his  Spirit :    for  "  it  is  the  power  of  God  to  salvation  unto  every  one 
that  believeth,"  Rom.  i.  16. 

The  last  particular  which  we  must  observe  concerning  'the  rea- 
sons why  the  Son  of  God  is  called  Jesus,  that  is,  Saviour,  is  that  we 
must  believe  in  him  as  such  ;  for  when  we  say  in  our  creed,  "  I  be- 
lieve in  God  the  Father,  and  in  Jesus  Christ,"  it  is  as  though  we 
said,  and  I  believe  in  Jesus  Christ.  And  verily  we  must  believe  in 
him  as  well  as  in  the  Father,  John  xiv.  1  :  for  the  Father  appointed 
him  to  be  a  Saviour,  that  we  should  believe  in  him  ;  for  "  God  hath 
set  him  forth  to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his  blood,"  Rom, 
iii.  25,  and  that  we  should  through  him  beHeve  in  the  Father  :  for 
"by  him  we  believe  in  God,"  1  Pettr  i.  21.  We  are  not  to  show 
i«)w  wherein  faith  in  Jesus  the  Saviour  consists,  since  we  hate  done 
this  on  the  seventh  Lord's  day,  but  we  must  show  here  that  a  guilty 
sinner,  if  he  will  be  saved,  must  believe  in  him.     For, 

1 .  We  become  partakers  of  the  Saviour  only  by  faith,  because 
faith  owns  and  receives  him  :  "  for  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them 
gave  he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe 
on  his  name,"  John  i,  12.  And  in  this  manner  are  we  saved  hj 
him  ;  but  without  faith  in  him  we  are  damned  :  "  He  that  believeth 
on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life  :  and  he  that  believeth  not  in  the 
Son  shall  not  see  life  ;  but  the  wrath  of  God  abide th  on  him,"  John 


24d    JESUS  THE  ONLY  ANf)  COMPLETE  SAVIOUR. 

iii.  36.    Mark  xvi,  16.     This  ought  suniy  to  constrain  and  move   a 
sinner  to  believe  in  him. 

2.  There  is  nothing  which  we  can  believe  on  better  grounds  than 
that  Jesus  is  the  Saviour  :  for  there  is  nothin?^  that  can  be  more 
fully  proved  than  that  he  is  the  only  and  coTr»]ilete  Saviour:  "  It  is 
a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus 
came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,"  1  Tim.  i.  15,  for  '*  to  him 
gave  all  the  prophets  witness,  that  through  his  name  whosoever  be=- 
lieveth  in  him,  shall  receive  remission  of  sins,"  Acts  x*  43.  But 
besides  this,  every  one  is  also  called  and  invited  by  him  to  come  unto 
him  through  faith  for  salvation  :  he  himself  cries,  "  Turn  unto  me 
and  be  saved,  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth,"  Isaiah  xlv.  22.  Iv.  1. 
John  vii.  37,  38.  Rev.  xxii.  17.  This  ought  surely  to  allure  thee, 
O  sinner. 

3.  Without  faith  in  him  we  cannot  find  either  salvation  or  advan- 
tage in  aughi  else,  though  it  may  otherwise  serve  as  a  mean  to 
salvation.  Reading  or  hearing  the  word  of  God  is  of  no  advantage 
*•  if  it  be  not  mixed  with  faith,"  Heb.  iv.  2.  There  is  no  better 
mean  to  obtain  the  favour  of  God  than  prayer,  bat  this  also  is  sinful, 
**  if  it  proceed  not  from  faith,"  Rom.  xiv,  24.  Though  I  were  as 
virtuous  as  any  man  living,  if  I  have  not  faith,  I  will  not  please  God, 
See  this,  Heb.  xi,  6.     Let  this  urge  you  to  him. 

4.  They  who  receive  him  by  a  true  faith,  find  in  him  all  things 
necessary  to  their  salvation,  as  we  have  just  now  shown.  Now  we 
must  either  be  wholly  unconcerned  about  our  salvation,  or  this  must 
determine  our  hearts  to  believe  in  him. 

II.  Many  who  are  not  of  our  communion  deny  this  great  truth. 
There  are  not  any  among  those  called  Christians,  who  will  not  con- 
fess that  Jesus  is  the  Saviour  ;  yea,  they  will  all  boast  of  him  with 
their  mouths  :  b\it  if  v/c  will  attend  to  the  matter  more  strictly,  we 
shall  find  that  they  deny  the  only  Saviour  with  their  deeds,  since 
they  seek  their  salvation  of  the  saints,  of  themselves,  or  somewhere 
eke. 

It  is  evident,  that  the  instructor  hath  respect  here  to  the  Papists, 
who  seek  their  salvation  and  happiness, 

].  Of  the  saints,  since  they  make  the  saints,  and  especially  Mary, 
tlie  objects  of  all  their  devotions,  and  therefore  prav  to  them  for  all 
kinds  of  happiness,  dedicate  temples,  cities  and  countries  to  them  ; 
yea,  they  proceed  so  far,  that  a  great  champion  of  popery  *  hath 

•  Th'.s  was  Bonaventurc,  whom  the  Papists  style  the  seraphJcal  doctor :  ^'* 
was  an  eminent  scholastic  divine  of  the  thirteenth  century. 


XI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  29 j  30.  241 

Inserted  the  name  of  Mary  in  the  Psalter,  wherever  he  found  the 
names  and  titles  of  God.  Yea,  that  the  Papists  seek  thtir  salvation 
and  happiness  of  the  saints  appears  from  their  employing  them  as 
mediators  with  Cod  and  his  Son  ;  for  they  will  not  draw  near  to 
God  through  Christ,  until  they  have  first  sought  the  favour  and 
assistance  of  some  saint ;  therefore  they  are  so  shamdess,  that  ihey 
compare  Mary  to  the  neck,  by  which  salvation  flovveth  down  to  us 
from  Christ,  as  the  head.  They  endeavour  to  hide  their  filih  in  some 
measure,  by  saying  that  the  saints  are  mediators  of  intercession,  and 
that  we  must  seek  our  salvation  through  them  of  Jesus  :  but  even 
then  the  Papists  show  that  they  seek  their  salvalion  so  far  of  the 
saints.  The  word  of  God  knows  of  no  intercessors  besides  Jesus 
Christ  the  righteous :  it  is  also  certain,  that  the  Romish.church  re- 
presents the  saints  not  only  as  mediators  of  intercession,  but  also  of 
merit ;  we  will  not  transcribe  here  any  prayers  of  the  Papists,  in 
which  they  pray  for  grace  through  the  most  precious  merits  of  the 
saints,  for  it  is  sufficiently  evident  without  this,  that  th'ey  consider 
the  saints  as  mediators  of  merit,  since  it  is  the  uniform  doctrine  of 
the  Papists,  that  the  saints  perform  many  v/orks  of  supererogation, 
which  are  laid  up  by  the  Pope,  out  of  which  treasure  the  deficiencies 
of  others  are  supplied,  and  indulgencies,  or  pardons  of  sins  granttf'. 

2.  The  Papists  seek  their  salvation  and  happiness  also  of  them- 
selves; for  they  imagine  that  they  merit  salvation  of  God  by 
their  good  works.  When  they  sin,  they  will  satisfy  for  it  in  this 
life  by  certain  chastisements  of  fasting,  pilgrimages  and  almsgivings, 
by  muttering  a  great  number  of  paternosters,  and  avemarys,  and  by 
practising  other  trifles,  enjoined  on  them  by  the  priest ;  or  after  this 
life  by  suffering  a  severe  punisiiment  in  a  hot  burning  purgatory. 

3.  If  all  this  will  not  suffice,  they  will  then  stek  their  salvation 
and  happiness  somewhere  else,  as  in  the  agnus  Deis,  the  v/pod  of  the 
cross,  masses  for  souls,  shriving  their  sins. to  the  priest,  who  will  for- 
give them  the  sins  which  they  have  shriven,  and  these  things  quiet 
them  so  perfectly,  that  it  is  as  though  it  were  proclaimed  to  them 
from  heaven,  that  when  they  do  thus,  they  are  saved  by  Jesus 
himself. 

It  follows  certainly  from  this,  that  the  Papists  deny  the  only  Sa- 
viour Jlsus  ;  for  one  of  these  two  things  must  be  true,  and  not  both, 
that  Jesus  is  not  a  complete  Saviour  ;  or  that  he  is  a  complete  Sa- 
viour, in  whom  believers  find  all  things  necessary  to  their  salvation. 
Now  it  is  certain,  that  he  is  a  complete  Saviour,  as  we  have  proved 
before ;  and  therefore  when  the  Papists  seek  their  salvation  out  of 
Jesus  of  the  saints,  or  of  tbemselres,  or  of  aught  else,  they  deny  tise 

LI 


242     JESUS  THE  ONLY  AND  COMPLETE  SAVIOUR. 

only  Oeliverer  and  Saviour,  and  do  not  consider  bin)  as  a  complete. 
Saviour. 

It  is  true,  they  boast  of  h'm  w  ih  their  mouths,  and  say  that  he  is 
the  supreme  and  the  principal  Saviour,  and  that  the  saints  are  saviours 
of  an  inferior  order ;  Jesus  is  with  them  indeed  the  supreme  and 
most  worthy,  but  not  the  only  and  complete  Saviour.  To  consti- 
tute Iiim  ttie.  supreme  Saviour,  and  the  saints  inferior  ones,  what  !& 
it  but  nukiUi^  Christians  heathens,  who  held  that  there  was  a 
supieme  God  and  inferior  Cods,  and  that  the  inferior  Gods  were 
mediators,  by  »vhom  fhey  drew  near  to  the  supreme  God,  and  by 
whom  that  supreme  God  drew  near  to  them,  with  his  favours.  The 
jRomanists  boast  indeed  much  of  the  name  Jesus,  and  inscribe  it 
upon  almost  eveiy  thing,  in  order  to  sanctify  it ;  they  will  also  hang 
this  name  about  thrir  neciss,  that  k  may  preserve  them  f  om  malig- 
nant diseases,  and  they  make  use  of  it  to  cast  out  the  devil,  as  if  this 
name  were^a  charm,  as  it  was  used  by  the  seven  exorcists  to  their 
shame  and  loss,  Acts  xix.  13 — 16.  But  what  do  these  men  find  in 
Jesus  that  stiould  constitute  him  the  suprerjfle  and  principal  Saviour  ? 
in  truth  notiung  more  than  that  he  delivers  them  from  sins,  which 
they  have  before  baptism,  and  then  only  from  the  guik,  but  not  from 
the  punishment  of  sm,  or  only  from  temj^oral,  and  not  from  eternal 
punishment;  and  thus  he  leaves  the  principal  work  to  the  saints, 
and  to  tl.e  sinner  himself,  all  his  sufferings  and  obedience  serving 
only  to  render  our  works  capable  of  meriting,  and  thus  Jesus  will  be 
the  servant  to  assist  these  great  lorda  ;  and  so  this  great  Bame  proves 
with  these  men  to  be  a  mere  nothing,  yea,  a  blasphemy,  of  which 
it  is  not  the  least  part,  that  some  of  them  arrogate  to  themselves  the 
name  of  Jesuits,  as  if  they  were  associates  of  Jesus,  and  partakers 
with  him  in  the  work  of  saving  the  sinner, 

Hatli  not  the  instructor  therefore  reason  to  say  that  this  people 
deny  him  with  their  deeds  ? 

But  some  will  perhaps  ask,  Can  no  man  then  be  saved  in  the 
church  of  Rome  ?  we  say,  it  is  not  to  be  doubted,  but  that  some  vcre 
saved  in  the  Romish  church,  before  the  true  church  separated  her- 
self from  her,  since  tliere  were  man^y  who  groaned  under  the  Romish 
yoke,  and  bore  witness  against  the  denial  of  Jesus  ;  but  we  cannot 
speak  so  liberally  now ;  because  since  that  separation,  Vvhen  the 
hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand  were  sealed,  and  the  gospel 
preached,  an  everlasting  wo  was  denounced  against  all  those  who 
worship  the  beast,  and  hijs  image,  and  receive  his  mark  in  their  fore- 
head. Read  attentively  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  the  revelation  of- 
Toftn.     It  may  also  happen,  that  there  are    certain  persons  in  that 


XI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  29,  30.  243 

church,  \vho  not  knowing  the  depths  of  Satan,  possscss  a  certain 
measure  of  faith,  and  of  love  to  Jesus,  Cind  do  not  trust  in  themselves, 
or  in  tlie  creatures  and  reveal  themselves  particulSily  on  their  death 
beds,  and  are  thus  saved  :  but  how  dark  and  sad  is  their  condition, 
and  how  are  they  saved  as  it  were  by  fire  i 

The  Socinians  will  without  doubt  detest  the  erroneous  opinion  of 
the  Papists,  but  neither  are  they  justifiable  in  what  they  teach  con- 
cerning the  Saviour  Jesus  ;  for  the  Socinians  imagine,  that  !^e  is  a 
Saviour  only  because  he  taught  a  better  law  than  that  of  Moses,  en- 
forced it  by  miracles,  and  confirmed  it  by  liis  holy  life  and  palieiit 
death :  but  what  influence  hath  all  this  upon  the  soul  without  his 
Godhead,  satisfaction  and  effectual  changing  of  the  heart  ?  and  never- 
thtloss  they  deny  all  this,  and  show  thus  that  they  also  deny  the  only 
and  complete  Saviour. 

The  Remonstrants  approach  somewhat  nearer,  when  they  teach 
that  Jesus  merited  the  salvation  of  a  possibility  to  be  saved  :  but 
Ihey  will  not  allow  that  Jesus  applies  his  merited  salvation  effectu- 
ally, saying,  that  he  hath  left  thjs  to  our  fieew-ill.  But  then  Jesu  sis 
only  a  possible  Saviour ;  and  so  it  might  have  happened,  that  though 
Jesus  were  a  Saviour,  no  man  had  been  saved,  as  the  will  of  all  men 
is  free  to  accept  of  him  or  not.  What  doth  all  this  mean,  but  that 
Jesus  is  not  a  comple  e  Saviour  ?  that  believers  do  not  fina  all  things 
in  him  necessary  to  their  salvation  ?  t^nd  consequently  they  also  de- 
ny in  deed,  the  only  Saviour  Jesus,  though  ihey  boast  of  him  with 
their  mouths. 

Though  we  cannot  censure  the  Lutherans  on  this  head,  never- 
theless we  cannot  command  their  superstitious  behaviour  toward 
the  b^re  name  of  Jesus,  bowing  when  it  is  only  mentioned  :  "  At  the 
name  of  Jesus  every  knee  'must  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things 
in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth,"  according  to  Philip,  ii.  10, 
But  this  doth  not  relate  to  the  name  of  Jesus,'  but  to  his  person,  to 
v.'hich  all  must  be  subject.  If  we  OMght  to  understand  any  mere 
name  here,  it  ought  rather  to  be  his  name  Lord,  "which  every 
tongue  m-ust  confess,'- according  to  vs.  11.  Those  also,  who  are 
under  the  earth,  to  wit,  the  evil  spirits,  have  no  knees.  Yea,  the 
Lutherans  themselves  do  not  bow  their  knees,  >vhen  this  name  ia 
mentioned,  but  only  their  heads. 


APPLICATION. 

When  we  consider  all  that  hath  been    said,  must  we  not   justify 
our  fathers  in  separating  frctfn  the  church  »i  Rome,  according  to  the 


1244    JESUS  THE  ONLY  AND  COMPLETE  SAVIOUR» 

divine  command.  Rev.  xviii.  4,  "  Come  out  of  her,  my  people, 
that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  sinr,  and^  that  ye  receive  not  her 
plagues  f "  How  could  they  remain  in  such  an  assembly,  who  de- 
nied their  Sa\ionr,  was  become  Idolatrous,  would  not  be  persuaded, 
and  persecuted  those  who  would  heal  her,  even  unto  death  ? 

Tea  more,  ougiit  we  to  be  charged  with  improper  severity,  be* 
cause  we  would  never  receive  the  abominable  Socinians  as  brethren  ? 
They  had  indeed  utterly  subverted  all  the  foundations  of  the  Chris- 
tian faith,  w!th  respect  to  J'isus,  as  his  Godhead,  salisfaction,  and 
heartchanging  grace  ;  on  which  account  the  Remonstrants  also  were 
justly  cast  out  of  our  purified  church  ;  for  they  would  establish  free- 
will as  an  associate  \\ith  Jesus  in  the  salvation  of  sinners,  and  would 
also  erect  an  altar  to  it  :  and  hence  they  soon  deviated  to  other  er- 
roneous opinions,  embraced  the  Socinians  as  their  brethren,  and  en- 
deavoured to  bring  those  uncircumcised  into  the  temple  of  God. 
How  were  they  then  to  be  endured  ! 

Permit  me  to  offer  also  this  inference  from  what  hath  been  said, 
that  our  leformed  church  alone  exhibits  the  pure  doctrine  of  the 
ivord  of  God  without  errour.  Who  can  suspect  her  of  errours  and 
misapprehensions,  unless  it  be  an  errour  that  she  conceives  too  highly 
of  the  only  and  complete  Saviour,  that  she  humbles  the  sinner  too 
low,  comforts  the  sorrowful  too  perfectly,  and  glorifies  God  too  much, 
as  a  God  of  perfect  salvationr'  And  do  we  err  herein**  we  err  then 
with  the  word  of  God.  which  teacheth  us  these  things  ;  yea,  we  es- 
teem it  our  happiness,  that  w-e  may  err  herein  so,  that  we  lose  our- 
selves who'ly  in  Jesus,  and  are  swallowed  up  in  his  salvation,  that 
we  may  be  found  only  in  him 

May  we  not  now  also  extol  those  as  happy,  who  have  Jesus  for 
their  Saviour  ?  For  (a)  he  is  the  most  worthy,  the  Son  of  God, 
made  so  much  better  than  the  angels,  as  he  .hath  by  inheritance 
obtained  a  more  excellent  name  than  they.  Who  in  heaven  can  be 
compared  to  him  ?  who  among  the  sons  of  the  mighty  can  be  liken- 
ed to  him  ?  he  is  greatly  to  be  feared  in  the  assembly  of  the  saints, 
and  to  be  reverenced  by  all  those  who  are  round  about  him.  He  is 
the  Lord  of  lords,  and  King  of  kings  ;  yea,  he  is  terrible  to  the  kings 
of  the  earth.  "His  name  is  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  The 
mighty  God,  The  everlasting  Father,  The  Prince  of  peace,"  Isaiah 
ix.  6-  To  have  the  great  God  for  our  Saviour  is  surely  a  great  hap- 
piness, (b)  Let  the  benefited  sinner  only  consider  from  what  Je- 
sus saves  him.  It  is  indeed  from  sin  ;  -all  that  is  abominable,  evil 
and  hateful,  is  comprehended  under  that  one  word,  sin  ;  for  it  ren* 
ders  man  hke  the  devil,  it  subjects  him  to  the   wrath  t)f  God)  the 


XI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  29,  30.  245 

.^Uise  of  the  law  and  eternal  damnation  ;  it  is  the  cause  of  all  our- 
imisery,  and  it  deprives  the  sinner  of  all  h'is  faculties,  so  that  he 
cannot  deliver  his  soul.  When  a  person  hath  had  a  heartfelt  sense 
oi  this,  and  sees  that  he  is  delivered  by  Jesus,  must  it  not  fill  his 
heart  with  wonder,  astonishment,  joy,  and  praise  to  God,  and  induce 
him  to  cry  out,  "  He  who  hath  delivered  us  from  so  great  a  death, 
and  who  still  delivereth  us,  and  in  whom  we  trust,  that  he  will  yet 
deliver  us  ?"  (c)  Believers,  consider  also  what  Jblessedness  and  sal- 
vation he  hath  bestowed  on  you.  He  hath  united  you  to  God, 
translated  you  into  communion  with  him,  so  that  ye  know  him  wlio 
is  true,  and  are  in  him  who  is  true  :  your  life  is  hidden  with  him  in 
God,  ye  have  an  interest  in  his  favour  and  love,  and  shall  always  re- 
tain it ;  and  all  this  is  but  a  small  beginning  ;  yea,  although  ye  were 
now  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God,  it  could  not  yet  be  compared 
to  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in  you  at  the  last  day.  And 
therefore,  •'  behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed 
on  us,  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  God  :  therefore  the  world 
knoweth  us  not,  because  it  knew  him  not.  Beloved,  now  are  we 
the  sons  of  God,  and  it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be  ;  but 
we  know,  that  when  he  shall  apper,  we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we 
shall  see  him  as  he  is,"  1  John  iii.  1,  2.  (d)  And  what  hath  Jesus 
done  to  save  you  ?  he  poured  forth  his  soul  unto  death,  he  was 
numbered  with  the  transgressors,  he"  bore  the  sins  of  many,  and 
made  in^:ercession  for  the  transgressors ;  he  made  his  soul  an  offer- 
ing for  sin,  that  he  might  see  you  as  his  seed  ;  and  therefore  he 
hath  also  given  you  his  Spirit,  he  regenerates  you,  he  hath  made 
you  partakers  of  his  divine  nature,  he  hath  obtained  your  acquittal 
of  the  judge,  he  hath  sanctified  you,  he  will  love  you  to  the  end,  and 
will  not  withdraw  his  hand  from  you,  until  he  hath  introduced  you 
into  glory,  and  hath  saved  you  perfectly  in  soul  and  body.  In  this, 
Job  gloried  under  his  greatest  troubles  ;  '*  I  know  that  my  Redeem- 
er liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day,  upon  the  earth. 
And  though  after  my  skin,  worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my 
flesh  shall  I  see  God  ;  whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine  eyes 
sh^U  behold,  and  not  another  ;  though  my  reins  be  consumed  within 
me","  Job  xix.  25,  26,  27.  Will  ye  have  more  ?  Behold  (e)  he  is 
the  only  and  complete  Saviour,  ye  have  all  things  in  him  that  arc 
necessary  to  your  tiaivaticn.  There  is  no  defect  in  any  sinner  so 
great  and  griirvous,  but  there  is  a  fulness  in  every  respect  sufficient 
in  him  against  it:  •' Christ  is  all  in  all,"  Coll.  iii,  11.  "  Of  his 
fulness  do  wt^all  receive  grace  for  grace,"  John  i.  16-  "  He  is  made 
o  us  of  God  wisdoiuj  righteousness,  sanctification,  and  redempiicn/* 


545    JESUS  THE  ONLY  AND  COMPLETE  SAVIOUR. 

1  Cor.  i.  30.  "  He  is  able  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost,  that  com^ 
unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for 
them,"  Heb.  vii.  25.  And  he  alone  is  this,  we  may  not  seek,  and 
cannot  find  salvation  out  of  him  ;  whatsoever  the  sinner  pursues,  in 
order  to  obtain  happiness,  is  only  broken  cisterns,  v/hich  can  hold  no 
water,  (f)  And  whose  Saviour  is  he  ?  the  Saviour  of  all  men  ?  no  : 
but  only  of  his  people,  and  there  are  many  who  are  not  his  people 
and  sheep.  That  just  ye,  even  ye,  O  believers,  arc  his  people,  and 
the  objects  of  his  saving  kindness,  and  that  others,  perhaps  as  good, 
yea,  better  by  nature  than  ye,  come  short  hereof;  ought  this  not  to 
humble  you  to  the  uttermost  under  a  sense  of  your  unworthiness, 
and  cause  you  to  ask  v/ith  Hagar  "  Have  |I  here  also  looked  after 
him,  who  sceth  me  ?"  Gen.  xvi.  13, 

I  know  that  there  are  believers,  who  labour  under  a  grievous  un- 
certainty, whether  they  have  a  saving  interest  in  Jesus,  and  that 
there  are  others,  who  are  unconcerned,  and  think  that  they  ought 
not  to  doubt  that  Jesus  is  their  Saviour,  deceiving  themselves  with 
Tain  imaginations  :  -  and  therefore  it  will  not  be  unserviceable  to  in- 
quire for  the  conviction  of  the  one  and  the  other  who  are  the  real 
partakers  of  the  Saviour.     They  are, 

1 .  Those  who  regard  their  sins  and  misery  with  concern  and  anx- 
iety :  they  cry  out,  '^  What  must  we  do  to  be  saved  ?"  Acts  ii.  37* 
ix.  6.  xvi.  30.  "  For  the  Son  of  man  came  to  save  that  which  was 
lost."  Matt,  xviii.  1 1.  How  is  it  possible  that  a  sinner  should  be  de- 
livered from  all  his  sins,  and  dreadful  misery,  as  long  as  he  doth  not 
behold  his  wretchedness,  so  as  to  be  humbled.  We  know  indeed 
that  some  are  brought  to  Jesus  by  a  word,  or  by  a  calm  contempla- 
tion of  the  saving  truths,  or  by  a  flood  of  saving  joy,  which  Jesus 
sheds  abroad  in  their  hearts,  and  they  do  not  experience  much  per- 
turbation, as  Matthew,  Lydia,  and  Zaccheus,  Matt.  ix.  9.  Acts  xvi. 
14.  Luke  ix.  5,  6,  but  we  also  know,  that  this  is  not  common  ;  and 
moreover,  that  such  persons,  although  they  are  not  greatly  distres- 
sed at  the  first  on  account  of  their  sins  and  misery,  because  it  is 
swallowed  up  by  the  enjoyment  of  their  love,  are  afterwards  so 
much  the  more  dejected,  and  thus  humbled  on  account  of  their  for- 
mer and  present  sins.  And  is  not  humiliation  the  daily  work  of 
every  believer  ?     burcly  it  is. 

2.  They  have  an  enlarged  view  of  the  perfect  ability  of  Jesus  to 
save  sinners,  which  causeth  them  to  set  a  high  value  on  him  :  "  To 
you  who  believe  he  is  precious,"  I  Peter  ii.  IT.  They  have  not  a 
bare  apprehension  of  this,  but  they  perceive  through  the  irradiation 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  the  beauty  of  Jesus,  which  allures  their  hearts, 
excites  a  desire  in  them  to   Jesus,  and  indiiceth  them  to   seek  him 


i 


Xr.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  29,  30.  24r 

earnestly,  to  look  from  self,  and  from  all  self  and  imaginary  worth 
and  works,  to  surrender  themselves  to  him,  to  turn  to  him,  and 
receive  him,  in  order  to  be  saved  by  him  alone.  **  They  account 
all  things,"  yea,  even  their  best  performances,  "  loss  and  dung,  that 
they  may  vi'in  Christ,  and  be  found  in  him,"  like  Paul,  Phil.  iii.  7 — lo. 
Let  none,  think  that  since  Jesus  alone  is  the  Saviour,  'hat  he  will  obtain 
an  interest  in  him,  without  any  activity  on  his  part.  No  :  those  whom 
he  saves,  he  renders  active  in  their  endeavours  to  be  saved  by  him  ; 
therefore  the  apostle  saith,  Philip,  ii.  12,  13.  *<  Work  out  your  own 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling  ;  for  it  is  God  which  worketh  in 
you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure."  See  also  Matt. 
xi.  2. 

3.  Such  are  also  his  people  :  he  saves  his  people.  They  surren- 
der themselves  willingly  and  readily  to  him,  and  "  join  themselves 
to  him,"  not  only  to  be  saved  by  him,  but  also  to  be  sanctified,  and 
*'  to  serve  him,  to  love  him,  and  to  be  his  servants,"  as  it  is  said  of 
those  who  are  saved,  Isaiah  Ivi.  6.  "  They  are  willing  to  swear,  and 
to  perform  it,  that  they  will  keep  his  righteous  judgments,"  like 
David,  Psalm  cxix.  106.  And  therefore  they  join  themselves  to 
that  people  whom  he  saves,  and  who  serve  him,  "  saying,  we  will  go 
with  you  ;  for  we  have  heard  that  God  is  with  you,"  Zech.  viii.  23. 
Ysa,  •'  they  are  of  one  heart  and  one  soul  "  with  that  people.  Acts 
iv.  32.  And  thus  "  we  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  to  life, 
because  we  love  the  brethren,"  1  John  iii.  14. 

Whoever  ye  are,  examine  yourselves  by  these  characteristics,  and 
see  whether  ye  have  been  thus  exercised,  and  whether  ye  be  still 
exercised  in  this  manner.  But  how  many  are  there,  who  know 
nothing  at  all  of  these  things  !  Verily  ye  know  nothing  of  them 
who  have  never  yet  come  to  yourselves,  to  examine  whether  ye  were 
in  the  faith,  or  whether  Christ  were  in  you  ;  who  show  by  your  care- 
lessness, that  ye  are  unconcerned  whether  ye  be  saved  or  damned  : 
for  this  seldom  or  never  enters  into  your  thofights  ;  the  things  of 
this  life,  and  worldly  and  fleshly  desires  possess  your  minds,  so  that 
there  is  no  room  for  serious  reflections  upon  your  eternal  condition  ; 
and  ye  show  thus,  that  ye  are  not  of  that  people,  but  of  the  world, 
Psalm  xvii.  14.  l.Johniv.  5.  Or  doth  a  sudden  and  transient 
thought  concerning  a  life  after  this  life  enter  your  hearts,  your  self- 
love  induceth  you  to  think,  that  ye  in  particular  will  not  be  lost,  but 
saved ;  ye  take  this  for  granted,  as  somt thing  that  is  evident  of 
itself,  because  ye  have  heard  with  the  hearing  of  the  ear,  that  Je- 
sus is  the  Saviour,  just  as  if  he  were  a  Saviour  of  these  who  never 
apply  to  him  ss  such. 


ta    JESUS  THE  ONLY  AND  COMPLETE  SAVIOUR. 

Neither  have  ye  the  evidences  vhich  we  have  mentioned,  that  U* 
*sus  is  your  Saviour,  vho  endeavour  to  do  something,  in  order  to  be 
.saved,  yet  do  not  embrace  Jesus  as  your  Saviour,  but  seek  other  Sa- 
viours. This  vrill  appear  strange  to  you,  and  induce  you  to  say, 
\ve  certainly  know  that  Jesus  alone  is  the  Saviour  :  but  it  is  perfectly- 
evident  that  we  look  upon  that  as  our  Saviour,  in  which  we  place 
our  only  trust  and  hope  of  being  saved.  But  is  Jesus  your  trust  and 
liope  ?  do  ye  flee  to  him  ?  have  ye  received  him  truly,  heartily,  and 
entirely  ?  and  do  ye  still  do  this  ?  ye  do  then  show  that  ye  esteena 
'Iiim  your  Saviour  ;  but  is  it  your  hope  and  trust,  that  ye  will  be  sa- 
ved, because  ye  have  been  born  in  a  Christian  covuitry,  have  been 
e:lucate(l  in  the  pure  church,  have  made  a  confession  of  yonr  faith, 
that  ye  partake  of  the  Lord's  supper,  have  a  considerable  knowledge, 
do  not  commit  any  wicked  abominations,  are  sometimes  sorry  for 
iyour  sins,  have  a  relish  for  the  word,  associate  with  the  godly,  yea, 
liave  a  great  zeal  for  God,  without  having  ever  received  Jesus  him- 
self, or  sought  to  viin  him  by  faith,  ye  do  then  surely  declare  that  ye 
Vlo  not' seek  Jesus,  but  only  those  things  and  works  for  your  Saviour. 
With  the  Papiists,  Socinians,  and  Remonstrants  ye  fetch  Jesus  in  as 
ifar  as  concerns  his  names,  thinking  that  if  ye  do  all  ye  can,  Jesus 
will  do  all  that  he  can  ;  but  Jesus  iiimselfis  not  the  object  of  your 
exercises.  Therefore  know  that  ye  are  yet  without  Christ.  What 
can  it  profit  you,  to  boast  of  him  with  your  mouths,  while  ye  deny  him . 
with  your  Works  ?  He  will  not  save  you,  while  ye  .rem  in  thus,  but 
condemn  you  :  alas  !  how  much  more  grievous  will  your  condition  be, 
than  that  of  those  who  never  heard  of  him  :  for  he  hath  urged  you 
to  receive  him  f'>r  salvation,  but  ye  have  suffered  him  to  labour  and 
cry  in  vain.  Hear  what  he  saith,  John  xv.  22,  "  If  I  had  not  come 
and  spoken  to  them,  they  had  not  had  sin ;  but  now  they  have  no 
cloak  for  theh' sin." 

Alas  !  friends,  behold  your  fearful  and  wretched  condition,  jand 
entertain  an  earnest  desire  to  be  saved,  and  therefore  to  receive  the 
Saviour  by  faith.  And  why  should  ye  not  ?  have  ye  too  much  to  do 
in  the  world  ?  are  your  thoughts  too  much  taken  up  with  the  things 
of  this  life  ?  <'  What  will  it  profit  you,  if  ye  should  gain  the  whole 
world,  and  lose  your  own  souls  I  or  what  would  ye  give  in  exchange 
for  your  souls  ?"  Matt.  xvi.  26.  Or  will  ye  not,  because  sin  is  sweet 
to  you?  how  bitter  \vill  it  be  to  you,  when  that  momentary  sweetness 
shall  be  past,  to  hear  him  upbraid  you,  saying,  "  Ye  would  not  come 
unio  me,  that  ye  might  have  life,"  John  v.  40.  Yea,  "  the  wicked- 
ness that  is  sweet  in  your  mouth,  shall  be  turned  in  your  bowels  ;  it 
^h-ilLbe  the  gall  of. asps  within  you,"  Job  xx.  12,   13,  14.     Or  v:ill 


XI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  29,  3a  249 

ye  defer  tt,  until  this  or  that  opportunity  ?  but  ye  will  then  perhaps 
have  no  opportunity,  or  less  inclination  than   ye  hav^c  now  to  believe 
in  him  :  therefore  "  to  day  if  ye  will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your 
hearts,"  Psalm  xcv.  7,  8.     Or  do  ye  not  dare,  because  ye  have  sin- 
ned too  long  a  time,  aid  too  grievously?  He  is  a  complete  Savioupj 
who  is  able  to  subdue  all  your  sins,  although  ye  were  the  greatest 
sinners :  <^  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation, 
that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners  :  of  whom  I 
am  chief,"   said  Paul,    1  Tim.  i,  15,     Or  are  ye  afraid,   that  such 
grievous  sinners  may  not  come  to  him,  and  that  he  would  thrust  you 
away  ?  He  himself  calls  to  you,  *'  to  look  unto  him,  and  be  saved," 
Isaiah  xlv.  22,  and  promiseth  that  "  him  that  comcth  to  him  he  will 
in  no  wise  cast  out,"  John  vi    37.     Ye  may  not  linger,  without  ex- 
posing yourselves  to  the  peril  of  a  grievous  condemnation,   Heb.  Xo 
38.  I  John  v.  10.     Or  can  ye  not  come  to  him,  because  ye  are  so 
dark  and  weak,  and  he  is  so  far  off,  that  ye  cannot  draw  near  to  him? 
only  offer  yourselves   to  him,  although  it  were  afar  off;  call  upon 
bim  to  give  you  faith,  and  to  draw  you  to  him  j  for  this  also  belong* 
to  the  work  of  saving,  namely,  to  give  faith,  Eph.  ii.  8. 

But  with  respect  to  you,  who  have  been  driven  out  of  yourselves^ 
hare  truly  embraced  the  Saviour  for  salvation,  and  are,  like  his  people, 
zealous  of  good  works,  conduct  yourselves  worthily  of  his  name,  and 
therefore, 

1 .  Rejoice  and  glory  in  him :  he  is  matter  of  the  greatest  joy  s 
"  In  this  day  it  should  be  said,  "  Lo,  this  is  our  God,  we  have  waited 
for  him,  and  he  will  save  us  :  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  his  sal- 
vation," Isaiah  xxv.  9.  The  angel  published,  as  the  greatest  joy,  that 
the  Saviour  was  bom,  Luke  ii.  10,  11.  Mary's  spirit  rejoiced  in 
God  her  Saviour,  Luke  i.,47.  Ponder  a  while  on  your  happiness, 
that  just  ye  have  been  delivered  by  so  great  a  God  and  Saviour  from 
such  a  grievous  condemnation,  that  such  a  great  salvation  hath  been 
bestowed  on  you,  and  that  even  he,  who  knew  no  sin,  was  made  sin 
for  you,  that  ye  might  be  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him.  Pause 
and  contemplate  this,  until  your  souls  are  enraptui-ed  with  joy,  and 
are  transported  out  of  themselves  into  him. 

2.  Glorify  and  praise  him  on  account  of  his  name  :  "  As  his  name 
is,  so  is  his  praise,"  Psalm  xlviii.  10.  "  He  hath  a  name  above  every 
name,  that  in  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,"  Philip,  ii, 
9,  10.  All  that  ye  have  and  expect,  proceeds  from  his  name  :  how 
well  doth  it  then  become  you  to  give  him  the  honour  of  it.  It  is  the 
blessedness  of  the  rational  creature  to  glorify  God  :  but  how  doth  it 
increase  h'8  blessedness,  that  having  a  view  of  the  power  ©f  this 

Mm 


250:   JESUS  THE  ONLY  AND  COMPLETE  SAVlOtJR. 

name,  he  can  praise  it  with  his  whole  heart  to  the  utmost :  in  this 
the  blessed  soul  will  exercise  herself  for  ever  ;  and  it  would  there* 
fore  be  pioper,  that  she  should  begin  it  now. 

3.  L;it  liim  also  be  your  only  refuge  and  trust  on  account  of  his 
narae  :  <'  They  that  know  thy  name  will  trust  in  thee,"  said  David, 
Psalm  ix.  11.  Tliey  who  believe  in  Jesus  find  all  things  in  him 
necfssaiy  to  their  salvation  :  therefore  in  whatever  respect  ye  may- 
be deficient,  ye  must  betake  yourselves  to  him  alone,  that  ye  may 
receive  of  his  fulness  grace  for  grace  :  *'  It  should  be  said  of  him, 
Surely  in  the  L^rd  have  I  righteousness  and  strength,"  Isaiah  xlv. 
2  4.  Those  who  are  saved  ought  certainly  not  to  deny  his  name  by 
being  discouraged  on  account  of  their  afflictions,  or  by  looking  for 
any  blessedness  in  their  own  endeavours,  purposes,  exercises  or 
duties  :  in  him  alone  is  the  salvation  of  Israel,  and  he  alone  is  a  God 
of  perfect  salvation. 

4.  Love  him  and  his  name  heartily  :  whatever  is  lovely  and  love- 
worthy he  discovers  and  imparts  to  you  by  means  of  this  name^,  that 
he  may  allure  your  hearts  and  love  to  him  :  "He  is  fairer  than  the 
children  of  men,"  Psalm  xlv.  2.  Behold  his  beauty  from  the  crown 
of  his  head  to  the  soles  of  his  feet,  and  ye  will  find  that  «'  he  is  alto- 
gether lovely,"  Song  v.  10 — 16.  "  His  name  is  as  ointment  poured 
forth  ;  therefore  the  virgins  do  love  him,"  Song  i.  3.  Let  his  love 
then  constrain  you  to  love  him  also.  Our  love  to  Jesus  fills  us  wholly 
with  pleasure  and  perfect  delight.  This  Bernard  experienced  when, 
he  sang, 

I  see  now  what  I  sought  before, 
Enjoy  now  all  my  soul's  desire : 
I  melt  in  Jesus' ardent  love, 
His  love  doth  my  whole  heart  enfire. 
O  heavenly  fire^  blessed  flame  ! 
End  of  the  law,  perfection's  bond  I 
O  dear  refreshment,  ah,  how  fair 
Jesus  to  love,  who  is  God's  Son  ! 
'Tis  Jesus  who  delights  the  soul : 
'Tis  Jesus,  whom  the  soul  doth  crave ; 
O  that  in  which  I  boast,  my  bliss 
Is  Jesus,  who  the  world  doth  save. 

5-  Conduct  yourselves  as  the  people  whom  Jesus  saves,  separating 
yourselves  from  whatever  is  sinful,  surrendering  yourselves  to  him, 
in  order  to  do  his  wiil  in  all  things,  and  to  be  conformable  to  him- 


XI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  29,  30.  251 

The  life  of  Jesus  must  be  manifest  in  your  mortal  bodies  :  «  He  that 
hath  this  hope  in  him  purifieth  himself,  even  as  he  is  pure,"  1  John 
iii.  3.  Men  ought  to  see  that  ye  have  been  with  Jesus;  for  what 
other  end  hath  he  saved  you  ?  '*  He  gave  himself  for  us,  that  he 
might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  unto  himself  a  pecuhar 
l^eople,  zealous  of  good  works,"  Tilus  ii.  14. 

It  is  true,  that  notwithstanding  ye  are  the  people  whom  Jesus 
saves  ye  are  siill  in  an  evil  condition  through  your  manifold  inward 
and  outward  afflictions,  and  the  righteous  are  scarcely  saved  :  never- 
theless he  can  and  will  save  you  perfectly  and  certainly.  At  your 
death  he  will  command  the  angeis  to  carry  you  into  Abraham's 
bosom,  and  will  also  quicken  your  mortal  bodies  to  salvation  by  his 
Spirit  who  dwelleth  in  you.  With  what  tranquillity  may  ye,  O  be- 
lievers, lay  yourselves  down  upon  your  death-beds,  and  say,  "  Now, 
Lord,  Icttest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peac«,  according  to  thy  word; 
for  roine  eyes  have  even  seen  thy  salvation."    Amen. 


(253) 


THE  NAMES 


CHRIST  AND  CHRISTIAN^ 


Xn.  LORD'S  DAY. 


John  i.  41.     We  have  found  the  Messiah,  which  is,  being  interpre- 
ted, the  Christ. 

^.31.    WAy  18  he  called  Christy  that  iff,  (^minted  ? 

A.  Because  he  is  ordained  of  God  the  Father,  and  anointed  with 
the  Holy  Ghosi,  to  be  our  chitf  prophet  and  teacher  ;  who  has  fully 
revealed  to  us  the  secret  counsel  and  will  of  God  concerning  our  re- 
demption :  anf^  to  be  our  only  high  priest,  who  by  the  one  'sacrifice 
of  his  body,  has  redeeir.ed  us,  and  makes  continual  intercession  with 
the  Father  for  us  ;  and  also  to  be  our  eternal  kini?,  who  governs  us 
by  his  word  and  Spirit ;  and  who  defends  and  preserves  us  in  the 
enjoyment  of  that  ^Ivation  he  has  purchased  for  us. 

Q.  32.  But  tvhy%rt  thou  called  p  Christian  ? 

A  Because  I  am  a  member  of  Christ  by  faith,  and  thus  a  partaker 
of  his  anointing,  that  so  I  may  confess  his  name,  and  present  my- 
self a  living  sacrifice  of  thankfulness  to  him  ;  and  also  that  with  a 
free  and  good  conscience  I  may  fight  against  sin  and  Satan  in  this 
life,  and  afterwards  reign  with  him  eternally,  over  all  creatures. 


JL  r  is  said,  and  not  without  reason,  "  that  we  know  a  person  by  hi9 
surname  *"  It  is  known,  that  men  are  distinguished  from  each  other 

^This  is  the  literal  franilation  of  a  Dutch  proverb,  which  hath  none  thft 
answers  to  it  in  tn^lish. 


XII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  31,  32.  2S» 

bynames:  but  inasmuch  as  men  multiplied  faster  than  they  could 
devise  names  for  them,  and  thus  many,  having  the  same  name 
could  not  be  distinguished  from  each  other,  therefore  surnames  were 
invented,  by  which  one  was  called  to  distinguish  him  from  others. 
For  this  reason  the  Lord  God^  sending  his  Son  in  the  flesh,  ordered 
that  not  only  a  proper  name,  to  wit,  Jesus,  should  be  given  him* 
when  he  was  circumcised,  to  distinguish  him  from  other  men,  but 
also  a  surname,  to  wit,  Christ.  There  were  indeed  many,  who  were 
called  Jesus,  we  find  several  both  in  the  Old  and  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment :  now,  that  the  Son  of  God  might  be  distinguished  from  them 
find  be  better  known*  the  surname  Christ  was  given  him :  therefore 
it  is  said,  ''Jesus,  who  is  called  Christ,"  Matt.  i.  16.  And  verily 
this  surname  was  also  properly  adapted  to  distinguish  him  from 
others,  who  were  called  Jesus,  and  to  convey  to  us  a  most  distinct 
knowledge  of  him  ;  for  it  evidenced  that  he  was  called  Jesus,  and 
possessed  the  office  of  Saviour  by  a  divine  authority,  and  that  he 
should  also  execute  this  office  in  an  effectual  manner,  seeing  he  was 
surnamed  Christ,  because  he  was  ordained  by  God  the  Father,  and 
anointed  with  the  Holy  Ghost  to  be  pur  prophet,  priest  and  king. 
Thus  also  the  catechism,  having  explained  his  proper  name  Jesus 
in  the  eleventh  Lord's  day,  is  not  satisfied  with  this,  and  therefore 
explains  also  distinctly  in  the  twelfth  Lord's  day  his  surname  Christ, 
and  also  how  believers  are  denominated  from  him. 

There  are  two  particulars  in  this  Lord's  day,  which  require  our 
explanation : 

I.  Why  Jesus  is  called  also  Christ,  Question  31. 

II.  Why  believers  are  called  Christians,  Question  32. 

I.  With  respect  to  the  first  particular  it  is  asked,  "  Why  is  h^  • 
cajled  Christ,  that  is,  anointed  ?"  Christ  is  a  Greek  word,  and  is  -. 
derived  from  the  word  c&rio,  which  signifies,  I  anoint,  and  therefore 
Christ  is  an  anointed  :  the  Hebrews  express  the  same  by  the  name 
Maachiach^  or  Messiah  ;  thus  Andrew  said  to  his  brother  Peter, 
"  We  have  found  the  Messias,  which  is,  being  interpreted,  the  Christ,"!  ^ 
John  i.  41.  See  also  John  iv.  25.    Therefore  the  Hebrew  word  Mas- 
chiach  is  frequenily  translated  anointed,  as  sevei^al  persons,  on  account  -_ 
of  their  divine  appointment  to  their  office  by  anointing,  were  also  i 
called  the  Lord's  anointed :  such  were  the  prophets ;  Elijah  was 
conr.manded  to  "  anoint  Elisha  (o  be  prophet  in  his  room,'-  1  Kings- 
xix.  16.     Therefore  the  Lord  God  said,  Psalm  cv.  15.  "  Touch  not  _ 
mine  anointed,  and  do  my  prophets  no  harm."     The  priests  were 
also  anointed :  "  Moses  should  anoint  Aaron  and  his  sons,  that  they 
might  niinister  to  the  Lord  in  the  priest's  office,"  Exodi  xiix.  30', 


254  THE  NAMES  CHRIST  AND  CHRISTIAN, 

Therefore  the  high  priest  is  emphatically  styled,  "  the  anointed 
priest,"  Lev.  iv.  5.  And  thus  also  were  the  kings  anointed,  and 
therefore  also  called 'the  Lord's  anointed,"  1  bam.  xxiv.  7.  Lam. 
iv.  20.'But  there  was  one  promised  and  expected  of  old,  who  should 
be  in  the  perfect  sense  of  the  words,  the  Lord's  anointed,  \he  Mes- 
siah and  the  Christ,  namely,  the  natural  L>on  of  God,  "  against  whom 
the  kint^s  of  the  earth  bhouid  set* themselves,"  Psalm  ii.  2.  "  'I  he 
Messiah,  the  Prince,  who  iShocild  be  cut  off,  that  he  might  bring  in 
an  everlasting  righteousness,"  Dan.  ix.  25,  26.  whom  the  Samari- 
tans also  expected,  John  iv.  25.  And  who  must  not  say,  with  a  full 
persuasion  of  mind  concerning  our  Jesus,  "  We  have  found  the  Mes- 
sias,  the  Christ;"  seeing  all  that  was  foretold  and  typified  of  the- 
Messiah,  hath  betn  perfectly  fulfilled  in  him, 

Jesus  is  called  the  Christ,  or  the  anointed,  because  he  was  ordain- 
ed to  these  three  great  offices,  and  anointed  to  them  with  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Two  things  are  to  be  more  particularly' noticed  here,  1. 
The  offices  to  which  Jesus  was  anointed,  2.  What  the  anointing 
signifieth. 

1,  The  offices  to  which  Jesus  was  anointed,  are  (a)  the  office  of" 
prophet  (b)  of  priest,  and  (c)  of  king.  And  this  renders  him  more- 
excellent  than  all  the  children  of  men,  that  these  three  high  offices 
are  found  in  him  alone  at  the  same  time.  Jeremiah  and  others  were 
prophets  and  priests  at  the  same  tims,  but  not  kings  ^  David  was  a 
prophet  and  king,  but  no  priest :  but  Jesus  is  a  prophet,  priest  and 
king  at  the  same  time,  and  thus  "  anointed  above  his  fellows,"  Psalm, 
xlv.  7.  In  order  that  we  may  have  a  clear  view  of  his  excellency, 
let  us  consider  each  office  distinctly. 

1.  Jesus  is  '' a  prophet  like  iMosea,  raised  up  from  among  his 
brethren,  to  whom  we  must  hearken,"  Deul.  xviii.  15,  18.  Acts  iii. 
22,  23.  The  prophets  were  holy  men,  who  were  raised  up  by  Ciod 
in  an  extraordinary  manner,  out  of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  and  infal- 
libly moved  by  the  Spirit  of  God  to  declare  the  mysteries  of  God  to 
his  people,  to  foretell  things  to  come,  and  to  enforce  and  confirm  all 
this.     And  thus  Jesu5  also  is  a  prophet ;  for 

1.  As  a  prophet  aiiH*  teacher  he  declares  the  mysteries  of  God, 
and  therefore  the  instructor  also  saith,  that  he  hath  as  a  prophet  and 
teacher  '*  fully  revealed  to  us  the  secret  counsel  and  will  of  God  con- 
cerning our  redemption,"  The  Loid  God  had  in  his  eternal  counsel 
devised  a  wonderful  way  to  lead  sinners  to  salvation,  to  the  glory  of 
Lis  justice  and  mercy  ;  but  that  way  wa^  unknown  to  the  sinner,  and 
hidden  in  God  ;  no  creature  was  able  to  discover  it ;  the  Son  of  God, 
-who  was  sent  in  the  fleshj  was  privy  to  that  counsel,  and  was  able 


XII.LORD'SDAY,  Q.  31,  S3.  255 

Stld  authorised  to  reveal  it ;  «  No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time  ; 
the  only  begotten  Son  who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  de- 
clared him,"  John  i.  18,  "For  he  whom  God  hath  sent,  speaketht 
the  words  of  God  ;  for  God  giveth  not  the  Spirit  by  measure  iint(* 
him,"  John  iii.  34.  Even  the  Samaritan  woman  "knew  that  the 
Messias*  who  is  called  the  Christ,  when  he  was  come,  should  tell  us 
all  things,"  John  iv.  25,  as  he  hath  also  done  :  "  All  things  that  I 
have  heard  of  my  Father,  I  have  made  known  unto  you,"  said  he  to 
his  friends,  John  xv.  1 5 . 

He  doth  this  (a)  outwardly  by  the  word  of  the  gospel,  by  whxh 
"he  hath  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light,"  2  Tim.  i.  10.  But 
this  would  remain  as  a  sealed  book  to  the  dark  and  deaf  sinner,  if  he 
were  not  also  (b)  inwardly  addressed  by  this  prophet,  speaking  to  his 
heart,  by  which  he  hears  twice  that  which  the  Lord  speaks  once  in 
his  word,"  Psalm  Ixii.  11.  Therefore  he  teaches  and  explains  the 
mysteries  of  God  also  inwardly,  for  he  sends  with  his  word  his  lJ§ht 
also  into  the  soul,  by  which  the  mysteries  of  God  are  seen  in  then* 
proper  lustre  :  *'He  opens  the  understanding,  so  thai  we  undcrstanc^ 
the  scriptures,"  Luke  xxiv.  45.  See  also  Psalm  xxxvi.  9.  2  Cor. 
iv.  6.  Eph.  i.  17,  18.  Yea,  he  penetrates  to  the  heart,  that  it  may 
regard  this  mystery  ;  "  the  heart  is  opened  that  it  may  attend  to  the 
word,"  Acts  xvi.  14.  He  inclines  the  soul  to  embrace  it ;  "He 
teacheth  her  to  do  his'will,"  Psalm  cxliii.  10.  He  causes  the  "heart 
to  burn  "  with  love,  Luke  xxiv.  32.  *«  And  he  brings  the  blind  by 
a  way  that  they  know  not,  and  leads  them  in  paths  which  they  have 
not  known  ;  he  makes  darkness  light  before  them,  and  crookecl 
things  straight,"  Isaiah  xlii.   16. 

And  he  did  not  do  this  only  himself,  while  he  was  on  e^;rth  in  the 
hody,  but  he  doth  it  also  by  his  servants  and  ambassadours,  "  who' 
pray  sinners  in  his  name,  that  they  would  be  reconciled  to  God." 
1  Cor.  iv.  1.  2  Co..  V.  20-  For  "no  man  hath  a  right  to  preach, 
unless  he  be  sent,"  Rom.  x.  15.  He  doth  this  during  the  whole  time 
since  his  ascension,  "  giving  some  prophets,  some  evangelists,  some 
pastors  and  teachers,  for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  for  the  v/ork  of 
the  ministry,"  Sec.  Eph.  iv.  11,  12.  He  did  this  also  even  in  the  days 
of  the  Old  Testament  ;  for  "  in  the  days  of  Noah  he  went  in  thcf 
Spirit  and  preached  to  the  spirits  in  prison,"  I  Peter  iii.  19.  1  Peter 
i.  11. 

2.  He  doth  not  only  declare  the  mysteries  of  God  to  us,  but,  as 
a  prophet,  he  also  foretold  things  lo  come,  which  was  likewise  the 
proper  work  of  the  prophets.  The  Lord  Christ  did  this  also  ;  ail 
that  the  prophets  foretold,  they  foretold  by  his  spirit,"    I  Peter  i,  11. 


256  THE  NAMES  CHRIST  AND  CHRISTIAN. 

He  declared  to  the  New  Testament  Church  beforehand,  whatever 
should  befall  her,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  Matt.  xxiv.  and  xxv. 
he  revealed  to  Joiin  all  the  great  events,  which  should  happen  to  the 
New  Testament  Church,  Rev.  i.  I,  19-  He,  even  "  the  Lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  the  root  of  David,  prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to 
loose  the  seven  seals  thereof,"  Rev.  v. 

3.  As  a  prophet  he  also  confirmed  and  strengthened  this  by  an 
extraordinary  holy  life,  as  an  example,  that  his  disciples  might  walk 
in  his  steps,  in  order  to  demonstrate  that  his  doctrine  and  prophe- 
cies were  "  the  true  words  of  God,"  I  Peter  ii.  21,  22,  23,  as  also 
by  his  many  miracles,  "  which  no  man  could  do  except  God  were 
with  him,"  which  also  manifests  that  he  was  a  teacher  corne  from 
Cod,  John  iii.  2.  As  he  was  therefore  acknowledged  "a  prophet* 
ihighty  in  deed  and  word  befoie  God  and  all  the  people,"  Luke 
xxiv.  19.  And  it  contributed  not  a  Httle  to  confirm  his  doctrine, 
tha^  he  died  such  a  painful  death  for  it,  that  he  might  *'  witness  a 
good  confession  before  Pontius  Pilate,"  1  Tim.  vi.  13. 

Therefore  the  catechism  saith  very  properly  that  he  is  the  "  chief" 
prophet  and  teaclier.     Moses  had   great  privileges  above  other  pro- 
phets. Num.  xii.  5,  7,   8,  but   Jesus  was  a  prophet  not  only  "  like 
Mos»;s,"  Deut.  xviii.  15,    18,   but  also  much   more    excellent:  '*  for 
this  man  was  counted  worthy  of  more  glory  than  Moses,  inasmuch  as 
he  who  hath  builded  the  house,  hath  more  honour  than  the  house," 
Heb.  iii.  3,     "See  also  vrs.  4,  5,  (5.     He  is  a  messenger,  an  interpre- 
ter, one  among  a  thousand,   to  show  unto   man   his   uprightness,'* 
Job  xxxi.  25.     "  Who  is  a  teacher  like  him  ?"  Job.  xxxvi,  22.     He 
it»  indeed  the  essential  wisdom  and  word  of  the  Father  ;   he  could  by 
his  discourses  so  affect  those  who  were  sent  to  take  him,  that  they 
could  not  stretch  out  their  hands  against  him,  but  were  constrained 
to  cry  out,  "  No  man  ever  spake  like  this  man,"  John  vii.  46.    "  The 
multitude  was  astonished  at  his  doctrine,"  Matt.  vii.  28.     If  the  pro- 
phets possessed  any  wisdom,  or  were  in  any  respect  acceptable  or 
venerable,  it  was  wholly  from  him  ;  his  Spirit  wrought  and  did  all 
things  by  and  in  them,  I  Peter  i.  11.     The  prophets  could   indeed 
preach  to  the  ears,   but  not  to  the  heart,  like  Jesus.     The  prophets 
had  their  limited  time,  m  which  they  administered  their  office,  after 
which,  death   put  an  end  to  their   labour,  with    their  lives  :  but  this 
prophet  continues  and  exerciseth  his  ministry  from   the   beginning 
until  the  end  of  the  world. 

B.  He  is  not  only  a  prophet,  but  also  "  a  priest,  and  that  for  ever 
by  an  oath,"  Psalm  ex.  4.  Zech.  vi.  I3y  as  he  also  did  the  work  of 
priest,  and  still  doth  :   "  Every  high  priest,  taken  from  among  men> 


XII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  31,  fil,  SsT 

is  ordained  for  men  in  things  pertaining  to  God,  that  he  may  offer 
both  gifts  and  sacrifices  for  sins,"  saith  Paul,  Heb.  v.  1 .  Our  Lord 
lesus  Christ  is  »*  a  merciful  and  faithful  high  priest,  in  things  pertain* 
ing  to  God,  to  make  reconciliation  for  the  sins  of  the  people,"  H«b. 
ii.  17.     For  which  purpose, 

1.  He  offered  up  a  sacrifice  lo  God  in  order  to  atone  for  sins,  as 
this  was  the  work  of  the  priests  under  the  Old  Testament :  "  For 
every  high  priest  is  ordained  to  offer  gifts  and  sacrifices  :  wherefore 
it  is  of  necessity  that  this  man  have  somewhat  also  to  offer,"  Heb. 
tiii.  3.  But  he  did  not  offer  gifts  and  sacrifices  according  to  the 
law,  which  could  not  sanctify  as  pertaining  to  the  conscience,  but  he 
offered  his  own  body  :  "  Therefore,  when  he  cometh  into  the  world, 
he  saith,  sacrifice  and  offering  thou  wouKlest  not,  but  a  body  hast 
thou  prepared  for  me  :  lo,  I  come  to  do  thy  will,  O  God.  He  taketh 
away  the  first,  that  he  may  establish  the  second.  By  the  which 
will  we  are  sanctified  through  the  offering  of  his  body  once,"  Heb. 
X.  1 — 10.  But  he  gave  not  only  his  body,  but  also  his  soul  a  ransom 
for  many  :  for  "  he  should  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,"  Isaiah 
liii.  10.  As  the  trespass  offerings,  sin  offerings,  and  the  sacrifices 
of  atonement,  effected  a  typical  atonement  for  sin,  according  to  the 
law,  so  he  by  his  t>ne  sacrifice  hath  truly  and  really  atoned  for  the 
sins  of  the  elect :  "  For  if  the  blood  of  bulls,  and  of  goats,  and  the 
ashes  of  an  heifer  sprinkling  the  unclean,  sanctifieth  to  .the  purifying 
of  the  flesh,  how  much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who  through 
the  eternal  Spirit  offered  himself  without  spot  to  God,  purge  your 
conscience  from  dead  works  to  serve  the  living  God?"  Heb.  ix. 
13,    14. 

As  he  was  himself  the  sacrifice,  so  he  was  also  himself  the  sacri- 
fleer,  according  to  his  divine  and  human  nature :  "  The  word  of 
the  oath,  which  was  since  the  law,  maketh  the  Son  an  high  priest, 
who  is  consecrated  for  evermore,"  Heb.  vii.  23,  See  also  Eph.  v.  2. 
Heb.  ix.  15.  X.  5,7.  If  it  be  necessary  to  inquire  what  his  altar 
was,  (of  wluch  Paul  doth  not  speak  designedly  in  the  epistle  to  the 
Hebrews)  we  might  say  that  the  cross  served  him  for  an  altar,  since 
the  sacrifice  of  his  body  was  laid  upon  the  cross  ;  for  •'  he  bore  our 
sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,"  Peter  ii.  24.  We  might  also  say- 
that  his  Godhead  was  the  altar  which  sanctified  the  gift,  inasmuch  as 
"  he  offered  up  himself  through  the  eternal  Spirit,"  Heb.  ix..  14. 
Do  we  desire  to  know  what  the  fire  was  that  consumed  his  sacrifice  j 
we  must  understand  by  it,  the  wrath  of  the  Almighty  that  was  kin- 
dled as  a  fire  against  sin,  which  was  transferred  to  this  true  sacrifice, 
on  which  account  he  mourned  so  bitterly  under  it,"  Matt.  xxvi.  37, 
38,  39,  42,  44.     xxvii,  46,    By  the  fire  we  may  also  «nil««»tand  liis 

Nn 


'i«N  THE  NAMtS 'CHRIST  AND  CHRISTIAN. 

"^  fiery  zeal,  and  love  to  the  honour  of  his  Father's  name,  and  the  sat* 
vation  of  tije  elect  ;  »'  For  the  zeal  of  God's  house  did  eat  him  up," 
Psalm  Ixix.  9. 

*  2.  But  it  behooved  him  not  only  to  offer  a  sacrifice  for  the  salva- 
tion of  the  sinmr,  but  also  to  pray  for  him,  that  he  might  apply  by 
•  his  mtercession  the  atonement  w'liich  he  had  purchased  by  his  sac- 
'  rifice  ;  as  it  was  the  work  of  the  priests  not  only  to  offer,  but  also  to 
pray  for  the  people.  This  the  common  priests  did,  according  to 
Joel  ii,  17;  but  it  was  especially  the  business  of  the  high  priest  on 
the  great  day  of  atonement ;  for  which  purpose  he  was  to  enter  mto 
tlie  holy  place  with  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice.  Lev.  xvi.  Thus  "  Christ 
also  entered  into  heaven  itself,  that  he  might  appear  in  the  presence 
of  God  for  us,"  Heb.  ix.  24.  See  also  Rom.  viii.  3,  4,  The  Lord 
Christ  prayed  indeed  on  earth  for  his  people,  John  xvii.  but  it  is 
there  supposed,  that  he  was  already  in  heaven,  and  no  longer  on 
earth,  seeing  his  ascension  was  as  certain  and  near  at  hand,  as  if  he 
were  already  in  heaven.     See  vrs.  11,  12. 

This  intercession  of  Christ  consists  not  in  a  humble  supplication, 
as  though  he  were  a  sinner,  who  had  forfeited  all  things,  and  was 
obliged  to  entreat  the  free  grace  of  God  for  himself;  but  it  consists 
in  an  effectual  willing,  whereby  he  requests  of  his  Father  the  just 
rights  purchased  by  him  for  his  people  through  his  sacrifice.  And 
so  his  intercession  denotes  (a)  his  appearing  before  the  throne  of 
God  with  his  blood,  representing  to  the  Father,  that  "  he  hath  finished 
the  work,  which  the  Father  gave  him  to  do,"  for  the  elect,  John  xvii. 
as  the  high  priest  behooved  to  enter  into  the  holy  of  holies,  in  the 
presence  of  God  with  incense  and  the  blood  of  the  sacrifices, 
which  he  was  to  sprinkle  on  the  mercy  seat,  Lev.  xvi.  12 — 16.  The 
apostle  alludes  to  this,  Heb.  ix.  24,  25. (b)  Hereupon  he  requests  of 
Mns  Father  that  which  was  meriited  by  him  for  his  people;  saying, 
*'  Father,  I  will  that  those  whom  thou  hast  given  me  be  where  I  am," 
'John  xvii  24. (c)  He  also  pleads  upon  his  accomplished  atonement, 
'his  people's  causes  against  those  who  accuse  them  ;  this  the  apostle 
"teacheth,  1  John  ii-  1,  "  If  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  Advocate  with 
the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous  ;  and  he  is  the  propitiation  for 
our  sins."  We  find  the  same  also,  Kom.  viii.  33,  34. (d)  He  like- 
wise ftanctifios  their  prayers,  and  presents  them  to  his  Father.  Thus 
he  is  represented,  as  "  the  Angel  who  stands  at  the  altar,  having  a 
j;oldcn  censer,  and  receiving  much  incense,  that  he  might  offer  it 
with  the  prayers  of  the  saints  on  the  golden  altar,  which  is  before 
the  throne  ;  and  the  smoke  of  the  incense,  which  came  with  the 
prayers  of  the  saints,  ascended  up  b'efore  God,  out  of  the  Angcrr 


/'AtTX«-:  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  31,  32.     --.   >«|-.         259 

hand,';  Rev.  vili.  3,  4  (a)  Finally,  he  prays  in  them  by  his  Spirit,, 
who  enaliles  them  to  pray  :  "  We  know  not  what  we  should  pray 
for  as  we  ought :  but  the  Spirit  itself  maketh  intercession  for  us,^ 
with  groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered.  And  he  that  searcheth  the. 
hearts,  knoweth  what  is  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  because  he  maketh 
intercession  for  the  saints,  according  to  the  will  of  God,"  Rom.  viii. 
26,  2r.     See  Gal.  iv.  6. 

3.  As  a  priest,  Jesus  the  anointed  priest  also  blesses  ;  for  it  was 
thii  business  of  the  priests  to  bless  Israel  in  the  name  of  God,  Numb, 
yi.  23,  27.  Chh'st  also  did  this,  not  only  in  words,  when  he  gave  them 
his  last  farewell,  John  xiv.  17 — Luke  xxii.  50,  but  also  in  deed  and 
in  fact.  Therefore  Peter  said  to  the  Jews,  Acts  iii.  26,  "  God  ha- 
ving raised  up  hii  Son  Jesus,  sent  him  to  bless  you,  in  turning  every 
one  of  you  from  his  iniquities  "  as  all  the  blessings  of  the  Father  are 
also  given  to  us  only  in  Christ,  Eph.  i.  8. 

And  thus  he  is  also  the  "  only  "  high  priest,  or  as  the  Latin  cate- 
chism hath  it,  "  the  highest  ;"   for  "  we  have  a  great  high  priest," 
Heb.  iv..  14.     How  worthy  soever  the  high   priests  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament were,  they   were  nevertheless  not  more  than  men,  who    had 
infirmiiies  ;  whose  sacrifices  were  not  more  than  irrational  and  inan- 
imate things,  wiiich  could  not  of  themselves   please  God,  and  did 
not  effect  a  veal,  but  only  a  typical  atonement  :  but  the  Lord  Christ 
is  the  Son  of  God,  *'  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  separate   from   sin- 
ners, and  made  higher  than  the  heavens,"  who  offered  himself  up  to 
Kiake  a  true  atonement  ;  "  who  was  not  made   a  priest  by  the  law, 
after  the  order  of  Aaron,  but  by  the  word  of  the   oath,  after  the  or- 
der of  Melchizedek."     See  Heb.  vii.     Of  this   man   we    read   only 
Gen.  xiv.  18,  19,  20,  and  Psalm  ex.  4.     Of  whom  the  apostle  saith, 
<*that  he  was  king  of  Salem,  a  priest  of  the  most  high  God  :  without 
father,  without  mother,  without  descent,  having  neither  begmning  of 
days,  nor  end  of  life  ;  but  made    like  the  Son   of  God,   abideth    for 
ever,"   Heb,  vii.    1,4.     It  is  a  notion  that  confutes   itself  that   Mel- 
chizedek was  Shem,  or  Ham,  or  a  person  created   immediately  by 
God,  perfect,  hply  and  immortal ;  or  an  angel,   who  appeared   to 
Abraham  in  a  human  form  ;   or  a  certain  excellent  power   ol  God, 
which  was  greater  than  Christ,  or  that  he  was  the  Holy    Ghost  ;  or 
the  Son  of  God  himself.     Thus  one    and   another  have  thought' of 
Melchizedek ;  vfi  approve  most  of  the  opinion    of  those,  who  con- 
ceive he  was  a  famous  and  holy  man,  a  king  and  priest,  and  thus  an 
eminent  type  of  the  Lord  Christ ;  for  we  see  nothing  more  in  him, 
Gen.  xiv.  18,  19,  20.     It  dot  noth  indeed  appear  to  agree  with  his 
jTQanhcod,  that  "  he  v/as  ^vithout  father,  without  mother,"  &«.   but' 


$m  THE  NAMES  CHRIST  AND  CHRISTIAN. 

this  is  said  of  him  because  his  birth,  generation,  and  death  are  no* 
mentioned,  and  are  not  known  to  us  ;  and  this  declaration  will  not 
appear  so  improbable,  if  we  insert  the  word  "  only  "  in  the  eighth 
verse,  and  read,  *<  Here  men  who  die  receive  gifts  :  but  there  he  re* 
cciveth  them,  of  whom  it  is  only  witnessed,  that  he  liveth.'*  We 
might  also  say  that  he  was  without  father,  &c.  in  an  ecclesiastical 
respect,  as  he  was  not  of  priestly  descent,  and  as  his  i>rie$thood  was 
not  transferred  to  another,  and  was  thus  wholly  different  from  the 
Aaron  ical  priesthood. 

Christ  being  made  a  priest  after  the  order  of  Melchizedek,  was 
much  more  excellent  than  the  priests  according  to  the  law,  since  he 
is  veriJy  wiih  respect  to  his  Godhead,  wiihout  mother,  without  de- 
scent, beginning  and  end  of  life,  and  with  respect  to  his  manhood, 
wiihout  fjther.  He  blessed  Abraham,  the  father  of  Levi,  and  was 
thus  greater  than  the  Leviiical  priests.  Levi  gave  tithes  in  Abra- 
ham to  Melchizedek,  therefore  Melchizedek  was  greater  than  Levi, 
and  consequently  Christ  was  much  greater.  The  Lord  Jesus  was 
made  a  priest  by  an  oath,  he  hatli  an  everlasting,  and  an  untransfer- 
nble  p.iesthood,  and  he  is  priest  and  king  at  the  same  time  ;  all  this 
was  not  found  in  the  weak  Aaronical  priesthood. 

C.  And  he  is  not  only  a  prophet  and  priest,  but  also  a  king.  As 
God  he  is  by  iiimself  king  over  all ;  but  as  Christ  and  anointed,  he  is 
king  of  the  elect :  "  Yet  have  I  set  my  king  upon  my  holy  hill  of 
Zion,"  saith  tue  Father,  Psalm  ii.  6.  But  "  his  kingdom  is  not  of 
this  world,"  as  he  himself  testifieth,  John  xvii.  36.  For  he  doth  as 
king  (a)  subdue  by  the  sword  and  sceptre  of  his  word  and  Spirit, 
sinners,  his  enemies,  to  himself  so  that  "  people  fall  under  him,  the 
rebellious  dwell  with  him,  and  become  a  willing  people  in  the  beau- 
tics  of  holiness,"  Psalm  cxlv.  3—6.  Ixviii.  I8.  ex.  1,  2,  3.  (b)  He 
gives  them  his  word,  laws  and  gospel :  "  For  the  Lord  is  our  judge, 
the  Lord  is  our  lawgiver,  the  Lord  is  our  king,"  Isaiah  xxxiii.  22. 
See  James  ii.  8.  (c)  He  rules,  governs  and  directs  then»  by  his  kingly 
iaw;  <*He  teaches  them  to  do  his  will,  and  his  good  Spirit  leads 
them  in  the  land  of  uprightness,"  Psalm  cxliii.  10.  Ixxxvi.  ii.  (d)  He 
defends  and  preserves  them  by  his  power  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
purchased  redemption,  "  so  that  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  them,"  Matt.  xvi.  16.  1  Peter  i.  5.  (e)  As  a  king  he  also 
glorifies  and  saves  them  :  "  The  King  shall  say  unto  them  on  his 
right  hand,  Come  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  pre- 
pared for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,"  Matt.  xxv.  34. 

Yea,  he  is  a  great  God,  and  a  king  above  all  Gods  :  *'  Fie  hath  on 
his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written,  King  of  kings  and  Lord 


XII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  31,  32,  261 

of  lords;"  Rev.  xix.  16.  He  hath,  as  Mediator,  an  unlimited  "power 
over  all  things  in  hea"ven  and  on  earth,"  tor  the  good  of  his  real  sub- 
jects, Matt,  xxviii.  1 8,  and  that  for  ever,  "  Of  his  kingdom  there  is 
no  end,"  Luke  i  33.  "  He  will  indeed  deliver  up  the  kingdom  to 
God,  even  the  Father,  and  be  subject  himself,"  according  to  I  Cor, 
XV.  24,  28,  but  he  will  do  this  only  with  respect  to  his  outward  ad- 
ministration as  Mediator,  for  the  Triune  God  will  influence  all  the 
blessed  immediately,  and  so  "  be  all  in  all:"  nevertheless  the  Lord 
Jesas  will  be  acknowledged  king  of  his  perfected  church  throughout 
eternity.  See  Rev.  xxii.  1,3. 

We  must  now  inquire  what  the  anointing  signifieth.  Il  was  an 
ancient  custom  to  anoint  prophets,  priests  and  kings  with  sweet- 
smelling  oil :  but  the  Lord  Christ  •*  was  anointed  above  his  fellows 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  power,"  Acts  x.  38.  Which  anoint- 
ing denotes, 

1.  His  ordination,  by  which  he  was  appointed  to  these  three  great 
offices.  Samutl  said  to  Saul,  after  he  had  anointed,  and  in  token  of  his 
submission  to  him,  kissed  him,  "Is  it  not  because  the  Lord  hath 
anointed  thee  to  be  captain  over  his  inheritance?"  1  Sam.  x.  L 
Thus  also  God  the  Lord  appointed  his  Son,  as  it  were  by  anointing, 
in  the  eternal  counsel  of  peace,  or  covenant  of  redemption,  to  be  a 
prophet,  priest  and  king  ;  for  •'  he  was  anointed  from  everlasting," 
Prov.  vui,  23.  And  thus,  "  his  Father  appointed  him  a  kingdom,'* 
Luke  xxii.  29.  See  also  Acts  x.  38,  42.  And  so  "  the  Father  sanc- 
tified him,  and  sent  him  into  the  world,"  John  x.  36.  The  Father 
also  solemnly  inaugurated  and  made  him  known  for  this  purpose  in 
his  baptism,  when  the  heavens  were  opened  to  him,  the  Spirit  de* 
scended  on  him,  and  the  Father  witnessed  before  the  whole  world 
with  an  audible  voice,  that  '*  Jesus  was  his  beloved  Son,  in  whom  he 
was  well  pleased,  and  that  they  ought  to  hear  him,"  Matt.  iii.  16_, 
17,  as  also  on  the  holy  mountain.  Matt.  xvii.  1 — 3,  and  among  the 
people,  John  xii.  28.  Yea,  "  God  the  Lord  witnessed  both  with 
signs  and  v/onders,  and  with  divers  miracles  and  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  Heb.  ii.  4,  and  thus  «  God  the  Father  sealed  him,"  John  vi. 
27.  But  this  was  more  particularly  manifested  in  his  exaltation,  and 
in  the  outpouring  of  his  Spirit ;  therefore  Peter  said  to  the  Jews, 
Acts  ii.  36.  "  Let  all  the  house  of  Israel  know  assuredly,  that  Go^ 
hath  made  that  same  Jesus,  whom  ye  have  crucified,  both  Lord  and 
Christ." 

2.  To  anoint  denotes  also  to  qualify  for  a  certain  office.  When 
Saul  was  anointed,  "  God  gave  him  another  heart,  and  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  came  upon  him,"  I  Sam.  x*  9,  10.    The  Father  also  quali-- 


262  THE  NAMES  CHRIST  AND  CHRISTIAN. 

fiecl  the  Mediator  "by  preparing  a  boJy  for  him,"  Heb.  x.  5,  ^'-  hy 
giving  him  the  Spirit  without  measure,"  John  iii.  34.  See  this  alsO' 
Isaiah  xlii.  l.xli.  1,2,  3,  by  upholding  him  in  his  laborious  service; 
for  "the  Lord,  who  called  him  in  righteousness,  held  his  hand,  and 
kept  hira, '  Isaiah  xiii.  6.  See  Psalm  Ixxxix.  21 — 24,  by  giving  him 
a  fulness  of  grace  for  all  the  necessities  of  liis  people :  "  For  it  was 
the  Father's  good  pleasure,  that  in  him  *'  all  fulness  should  dwell," 
Coll.  i-  19.  Psalm  Ixviii.  18,  Acts  ii.  33.  And  therefore'"  the  Father 
h':\th  also  given  him  power  over  all  flesh,  that  he  should  give  etcinuL 
life  to  as  many  as  the  Father  hath  given  him,"  John  xviii.  2. 

This  anointing  was  also  necessary,  (a)  becavise  these  great  offices 
might  not  be  assumed  by  him,^  except  he  weie  called  to  thtm  :  "  For 
no  man  takelh  this  honour  to  himselt^  but  he  that  is  called  of  God, 
as  uas  Aaron;  so  also  Christ  glorified  not  himself  to  be  made  an 
high  priest ;  but  he  that  said  unto  him,  Thou  art  my  Son,  to  day 
have  I  begotten  thee,"  Heb.  v.  4,  5.  This  anointing  was  necessary 
also>  (b)  to  fulfil  the  types.  The  anointed  prop'nets,  priests  and 
kings- were  types  of  Christ ;  and  it  was  therefore  necessary,  that  he 
also  should  be  anointed,  but  "  above  his  fellows,"  Psalm  x'v.  7.  (c). 
If  Jesus  were  not  anointed,  he  could  not  then  be  an  object  of  faith  ; 
for  faith  must  find  in  him  all  things  necessary  to  salvation-  The  sin- 
ner is  blind,  guilty,  and  hath  no  strength  ;  therefore  Jesus  behooved 
to  be  the  anointed  prophet,  priest  and  kmg,  in  order  to  "  be  made  of 
God  to  his  people,  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification  and  redempi- 
tion,"  1  Cor.  i.  20.  And  though  he  were  a  prophet,  priest  and  king» 
and  were  not  called  and  anointed  by  God  to  theso  ofnces,  who  would 
dare  draw  near  to  God  by  him  ;  since  without  the  anointing,  h^ 
y/ould  have  no  right  to  befriend  sinn,ers. 

.  11.  We  come  now  to  our  second  general  head,  according  to  tlic 
thirty-second  question,  in  which  a  true  believer  is  asked,  "  Why  art 
thou  called  a  Christian  ?"  The  Christians  were  at  first  called  believerfi, 
children  of  God,  disciples;  but  their  numbers  increasing  greatly, 
they  were  at  length  called  Christians  ;  which  happened  first  at  An- 
ticch,  ibe  capital  city  of  Syria,  and  indeed  the  greatest  and  most 
famous  of  all  Asia,  Acts  xi.  26.  From  which  place  liiis  name  could 
then  be  made  known  far  and  near,  and  be  generally  adopted. 
AVhether  this  happened  in  consequence  of  an  order  of  the  apostles, 
or  by  accident,  or  whether  it  proceeded  from  custom,  which  calljs 
disciples  after  the  names  of  their  masters,  this  is  not  so  well  known, 
as  that  the  believeis  in  general  adopted  this  name,  and  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  pleased  to  approve  of  it,  1  Peter  iv.  16.  "Ifanymasi 
eulFcr  as  a  Christian,  let  him  not  be  ashamed  ;  but  let  him  glorify 


Xli;  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  3 1,  32.  265 

Cod  on  thrs  behalf."     So   iniich  the  inore,  as  they  are   thus  called 
after  their  Master  Christ,  and  therefore  also  anointed. 

We  will  inquire  therefore  with  respect  to  this  name  also,  i.  To 
What  believers    are  anointed.     2.  What   their  anointing  signiiieth, 

-and  3.  What  foundation  there  is  for  this  name. 

'  •    I.  We  observe  that   believers  also  are   anointed  to    be   prophets, 

'priests  and  kings. 

*■    A.  Believers  are   prophets  :  "  In  the  last  days,  saith  Cod,  I    -will 

■^our  out  of  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh  ;  and  your  sons  and  your  daugh- 
ters shall  prophesy,  and  your  young  men  shall  see  visions,  and  your 
old  men  dream  dreams  ;  and  on  my  servants,  and  on  my  handmaid- 
ens I  will  pour  out  in  those  days  of  my  Spirit,  and  they  shall  pro- 
phesy," Acts  ii.  17,  18.  from  Joel  li.  28,  29.  Rut  they  are  not  pro-- 
phets  by  an  extraordinary  office  and  revelation,  but  by  their  state  of 
grace,  and  by  an  ordinary  revelation,  which  they  receive  of  God,  and 
reveal  again  to  others,  as  prophets. 

1.  Christians  receive  of  God,  as  prophets,  the  revelation  of  his 
blessed  mysteries.  This  was  promised,  Isaiah  liv.  13.  "All  thy 
children  shall  be  taught  of  the  Lord."  See  John  vi.  55.  Jer,  xxxi. 
34.  Believers  are  like  Moses,  since  they  "  with  open  face,  behold- 
ing as  in  a  glass,  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same 
image,  from  glory  to  glory,  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,"  2  Cor.  iii. 
18.  Compare  herewith,  Exod.  xxxiv.  29 — 35.  And  this  is  called 
prophesying,  I  Cor.  xiii.  9.  "  We  know  in  part,  and  we  prophesy 
in  part."  As  certahi  of  God's  ancient  people,  and  some  of  the  primi- 
tive Christians  were  constituted  prophets  by  receiving  the  reveLition 
of  divine  mysteries  through  the  Spirit,  so  true  Christians  receive  also 
divine  revelations,  not  only  through  "  the  word  of  prophecy,  to  which 
they  take  heed,  as  to  a  light  shining  in  a  dark  place,"  2  Peter  i.  19, 
but  also  "  through  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelation,  in  the  know- 
ledge of  God,"  Eph.  i.  17,  18,  19.  For  they  are  taught  inwardly  by 
the  great  Prophet  Christ,  as  we  have  shown  before.  Yea,  they  are 
sometimes  led  so  far  into  the  mysteries  of  God,  and  are  so  well  assu- 
red of  the  manifestation  of  the  Spirit,  that  it  differs  but  little  from  a 
prophetical  rapture  ;  for  "  he  brings  them  into  his  chambers,  and 
reveals  himself  to  them,"  Song  i.  4.  John  xiv.  21, 

2.  Like  prophets,  they  reveal  again,  that  which  was  revealed  to 
them :  either  by  teaching  others  the  secrets  of  God  with  their 
mouths,  and  thus,  "  showing  "  and  confessing  "  his  name  ;"  or  prais- 
ing the  Lord  in  an  audible  manner,  by  speaking  and  singing  to,  and 
concerning  him  ;  for  as  "  the  word  of  Christ  dwclleth  richly  in  them, 
they  teach  and  admonish  one  another  with  psalms,  and  bvmns,  and 


4^4  THE  NAMES  CHRIST  AND  CHRISTIAN^ 

«piritual  sotigs,  singing  with  grace  in  their  hearts  to  the  Lord,"  Colic 
iii.  16.      eph.  v.  18.     It  is  said  of  the  singers  in  the  temple,  "  that 
they  prophesied  with  harps,  giving  thanks  and  praising   the  Lord," 
1  Chron.  xxv.  1,  2,  3,  or  by  a  holy  conversation,  whereby  they  adorn 
the  doctrine  of  our  Saviour,  and  excite  in  others   an  opinion,  that 
there  is  something  divine  in  their  profession,  and  that  it  is  worthy  to 
be  embraced  by  every  one.     So  Paul  required  that   the  Christians 
Bhould  conduct  themselves  "  unblamably,  and  shine  as  lights,  and  so 
hold  forth  the  word  of  life,"  Philip,  ii.  15,  16.     See  also  Malt.  v.  16. 
Titiis  ii.   10.   1  Peter  iii.  1 — 4,  or  by  their  death  either  passing  with 
a  tranquil  depehdence  on  the  divine  revelation  into  eternity,  or  seal- 
ing the  truth  of  God  by  martyrdom,  by  which  the  spectators  must  be 
convinced  that  the  truth  which    they  profess  contains   something 
more  than  human.     Yea,  dying  Christians  have  often  been  more 
useful  in  their  death  to  persecutors,  outward  professors,  and  weak  be- 
lievers, than  tliey  were  in  their  lives.     See  what  Paul  saith,  Philip,  i. 
12,, 13,  14,  20. 

B.  Christians  are  also  priests  :  it  was  foretold  of  them,  Isaiah  lxi» 
€.  "  Ye  shall  be  named  the  priests  of  the  Lord  :  men  shall  call  you 
the  ministers  of  our  God."  And  they  are  not  so  called  without  a 
reason  ;  for 

L  They  have  a  priestly  perfection.  The  priests  were  to  be  per- 
fect in  body,  and  without  any  fault,  Lev  xxi.  16—21,  but  Christians 
also  are  "  perfect  in  Christ,"  through  their  justification,  Coll.  ii.  10; 
So  the  great  Bridegroom  commended  the  bride,  Song  iv.  7,  "  Thou 
art  all  fair,  my  love  :  there  is  no  spot  in  thee."  It  is  true,  Christians 
have  still  their  sinful  imperfections,  their  sanctificaticn  is  yet  defec* 
tive  :  but  they  have  notwithstanding  a  perfection  of  parts  in  this  re- 
spect J  "If any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature;  old  things 
are  passed  away,  beliold  all  things  are  become  new,"  2  Cor.  v.  17, 
1  Thess.  v.  2. 

2.  Christians  have  also,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  a  priestly  clothing. 
Priests  had  among  other  garments,  clothes  of  fine  linen  ;  so  also 
Cliristians  ;  for  "  it  is  given  to  them  to  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean 
and  white  ;  for  the  fine  linen  is  the  righteousness  of  the  saints  ;  Rev. 
xix.  8.  The  priests  had  also  garments  embroidered  with  gold : 
thus  also  '*  the  king's  daughter,  through  the  image  of  God,  her  many 
^ifts  of  grace  anrl  comely  virtues,  "  is  all  glorious  within,  her  cloth- 
ing is  of  wrought  gold.  She  shall  be  brought  unto  the  king  in  lai- 
inL-nt  of  needlework,"  Psalm  xlv.  13,  14.  Isaiah  Ixi.  10.  And  as 
the  g;olden  pLte,  engraven  v/ith  "  holiness  to  the  Lord  shone  forth 
from  the  priests  fordiead,  so -also  a  divine  lustre  shines  from  the  con- 


XII.  LORD^S  DAY,  Q.  31,  32.  265 

duct  ef  sanctified  Chrisuans  :  **  He  that  is  holy,  he  that  is  true,  hq 
that  hath  the  key  of  David,  saith  of  the  Christian,  who  overcometh, 
that  he  will  make  him  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  his  God,  and  will 
write  upon  him  the  uame  of  his  God,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of  his 
God,  even  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of  heaven 
from  his  God,,  and  al?o  his  new  name,"  Kev.  iii.  7,  12.  This  will 
beam  forth  especially  in  the  happy  eternity,  Rev.  xxii.  4, 

3.  Christians  perform  also  a  pnesLly  service  :  ''Every  priest  stood 
daily  ministering,"  Heb.  x.  1  U  And  thus  also  Christians  "  have 
boldness  to  enter  into  the  holiest,"  that  they  may  draw  near  to  the 
Lord,  ch.  x.  19,  yea,  '♦  into  that  within  the  veil,"'  ch.  vi.  19.  And  so 
they  are  cohenim^  which  signifies  priests,  but  also  princes  ;  thus  it  is 
used  of  the  sons  of  Dav.d,  2  Sam.  viii.  18,  which  is  explained 
1  Chrcn.xviii.  17.  "  The  sons  of  David  were  chief  about  the  king.'' 
Yea,  it  belongs  also  to  the  priesdy  service  of  Christians,  "  that  bemga 
holy  priesthood,  they  offer  spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God,  by 
Jesus  Christ,"  1  Peter  ii.  5.  "  Their  reasonable  service  consists  in 
presenting  their  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy  and  acceptable  to 
God,"  Rom.  xii.  1.  They  offer  to  God  *' a  broken  and  comrite 
heart,"  Psalm  h.  17.  Their  liberality  is  "  an  acceptable  sacrifice  to 
God,"  Heb.  xiii  16.  <*^The  prayers  of  the  saints  ascend  out  of  the 
hand  of  the"  uncreated  <*^  angel,"  as  a  sacrifice  "before  God,"  Rev. 
viii.  3,  4.  And  if  the  Lord  require  it  of  Christians,  they  will  offer 
themselves  readily  "  a  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  to  him,"  by  suffer- 
ing the  most  grievous  martyrdom,  2  Tim.  iv.  6. 

C.  Christians  are  not  only  prophets  and  priests,  but  also  kings.; 
"  Christ  hath  made  them  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father," 
Rev.  i.  6.     For  as  kings  they  have, 

1.  A  kingly  spirit,  they  are  of  an  elevated  mind,  and  have  a  fr.ee 
and  good  conscience,  which  is  not  enslaved  to  ignoble  things  :  they 
can  esteem  all  their  own  privileges  loss  and  dung,  that  they  may 
pursue  nobler  objects,  and  be  found  only  in.Christ,  Philip,  iii.  7 — 10, 
Moses  was  elevated  so  far  above  visible  thint^s,*  that  *'  he  refused  to 
be  called  the  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter,  and  he  endured,  as  seeing 
him  who  is  invisible,"  Heb.  xi.  24 — 27.  See  lhi;5  also  2  Cor.  iv* 
17,  18. 

2.  As  kings  they  v/age  war  with,  and  overcome  the  world,  sin, 
and  the  devil  ;  "The  Lord  makes  them  as  his  goodly  horse  in  tlie 
battle,  and  therefore  they  are  as  mighty  men,  who  tread  down  their 
enemies  in  the  mire  of  the  streets,  in  the  battle,  and  they  confound 
them  who  ride  on  horses,"  Zech.  x.  3,  5.  "  Their  faith  overcometh 
the  world,"  1  John  v.  4.  "  Sin  shall  not  have  dominion  over  them,' 

Oo 


26$  THE  NAMES  CHRIST  AND  CHRISTIAN* 

Rom.  vi.  14.     And  so  "they  overcome  also  the  accuser  of  the  breth- 
ren," Rev.  xii.  11. 

3.  They  have  also  kingly  riches,  although  they  may  be  the  poor- 
est in  the  world  ;  for  they  have  a  true  title  to  whatsoever  exists.  Head 
only  what  Paul  saith  of  this,  1  Cor.  iii.  21 — 23.  The  ungodly  may 
scoff  at  this,  as  a  vain  boasting  but  the  godly  shall  leign  in  an  open 
manner,  "eternally  with  Christ  over  iill  creatures,"  in  spite  of  those 
vrho  are  vexed  at  it ;  for  "  he  will  grant  to  them  to  sit  down  with 
him  in  his  throne,"  Rev.  iii   21.     Compare  herewith,  Rev.  ii.  26,  27. 

4.  Christians  have  also  a  kingly  majesty  and  dignity.  They  are 
indeed  *'  the  holy  and  the  excellent  m  the  earth,"  Psalm  xvi,  3. 
Yea,  "the  saints  of  the  high  places,"  Dan.  vii.  18.  "Of  the  rest 
no  man  dares  to  join  himself  to  tnem  ;  but  the  people  magnify 
them,"  Acts  v.  13. 

2.  But  v/hat  doth  their  anointing  signify  ?  Paul  teacheth  us  that 
Christians  are  anointed,  2  Cor.  121.  »'  He  who  hath  anointed  us  is 
God."     This  anointing  denotes, 

1.  The  ordination  and  appointment  of  Christians,  to  these  offices. 
So  the  Lord  saith  to  his  people,  Exod.  xix  6,  *'  Ye  shall  be  to  me  a 
kingdom  of  priests."  They  are  ordained  and  appointed  to  this  by 
their  eternal  election,  redemption  through  the  blood  of  Christ,  sanc- 
tification  and  calling,  I  Peter  ii.  9,  "  Ye  are  a  chosen  generation,  a 
royal  priesthood,  an  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people,  that  ye  should 
show  forth  the  praises  of  him  who  hath  called  you  out  of  darkness 
into  his  marvellous  light."  Yea,  they  bear,  as  it  were,  a  mark,  by 
\yhich  they  may  be  known  as  the  Lord's  anointed,  and  his  sealed, 
Rev.  vii.  3 — 8    Isaiah  Ixi.  9. 

2.  Their  anointing  denotes  their  qualification  to  these  offices. 
They  are  by  nature  ''reprobate  to  every  good  work  ;"  but  they  are 
qualified  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  therefore  the  apostle  saith  ;  "  Ve  have 
an  unction  from  the  Holy  One,  and  ye  know  all  things,"  1  John  ii. 
20,  27. 

*3.  We  are  to  consider  in  the  last  place  the  foundation  of  this 
name  and  anointing.  The  catechism  saith,  "  Because  I  am  by  faith 
a  member  of  Christ,  and  thus  a  partaker  of  his  anointing."  God  hath 
given  his  Son  to  be  the  head  of  the  church,  so  that  behevers  are 
"members  of  his  body,"  Eph.  i.  22,  v.  30.  Hence  arises  the  closest 
union  between  Christ  and  ChristiaijS,  which  is  effected  by  liis  ^plrit 
and  their  faith,  1  Cor.  xii.  13,  Eph.  iii.  17,  and  so  they  become  par- 
takers of  his  anointing  ;  for  "  he  hath  received  gifts  to  distribute 
them  among  men,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  18,  and  "  they  receive  of  his  fulness 
grace  for  grace,"  John  i.  16.  For  the  head  being  anointed,  the 
arointing  dcscendcth  also  to  the  members,  as  this  is  beautifully  re- 
presented to  us  in  the  anointing  of  Aaron,  Psalm  cxxxiii.  2,  and  so. 
"  his  name  i^ias  ointment  poured  forth,"  Song  i.  3. 


XII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  31,  32.         ,  ^67 


APPLICATION. 

Behold,  Christians,  is  not  this  our  doctrine  agreeable  to  the  word 
of  God  ?  can  it  be  censured  as  erroneous  ?  doth  it  not  fully  answer 
ail  the  needs  of  a  sinner  ?  doth  it  not  render  Christiai)ity  glorious  ? 
and  may  we  not  rest  in  it  with  perfect  satisfaction  ?  Surely  yes.  But 
how  do  those  who  are  not  of  our  church  act  here.^   The  Papists  es- 
teem the  pope  on  earth  the  only  and  infallible  prophet,  high-priest, 
and  king,   with  his  triple  crovcn  ;  wc  must  depend  on  him  for  the 
sense  of  the  word  of  God  :  he  hath  invented  priests,  altars  and  sacri- 
fices, and  will  offer  Christ  in  the  mass  for  the  quick  and  the  dead :  he 
weens  that  he  is  the  king  of  kings,  and  that  he   hath  a  right  to  de- 
pose and  confirm  kings,  and  to  change  times  and  seasons  :  yea.   he 
fancies  that  his  vassals,  and  those  who  propagate  his  doctriire,  are  the 
only  heritage  of  God,  eve^  those  v.'ho  call  themselves  after  Dominic, 
i-'rancis,  Sec.  and  that  Christians  are  but  laymen,  dogs  and  swine. 
And  so  he  manifests  himself  to  be  »*  the  man  of  sin,  and  the  son  of 
perdition,"  according  to  the  description  of  Paul,  2  Thess.  ii.  3,   12. 
'i  he  vSocinians  conduct  no  better ;  for  as  they  deny  his  Godhead  and 
satisfaction,  they  evacuate   his  offices.     Christ  is  indeed  a  prophet 
and  king,  but  only  because   he  taught  a  new  doctrine  and  enacted 
new  laws,  his  Spirit  doth  nothing  at  all ;  if  he  be  a  priest,  it  is  only 
in  name  and  by  analogy  :  the  common  priests  were  not  types  of  him^ 
but  only  the   high  priest,  and  he  is  a  higri   priest  so  fa    as  ht-  is  a 
king  :  he  offered  no  satisfactory  sacrifice  on  earth,  but  only  his  inter- 
cession in  heaven:  believers  aie  indeed  ciiHed  Cliristians  afterChrist^ 
but  it  is  only  because  they  receive  the  new  doctr'ne  of  Christ,  and 
not  on  account  of  the  reasons  which  the  gospel  exhibits  to  us.     And 
so  the  scripture  saith  many  things  of  Christ  and  Christians,  but  they 
are  without  meaning  and   force,  if  the  doctrme  of  the  Papists  and 
Socinians  be  true.     But  let  God  be  true,  and  every  man  a  liar.    We 
will  not  attempt  now  to  show  the  falsehood  of  these  erroneous  opin- 
ions, for  we  have  been  already  too  diffuse  on  this  Lord's  day.     The 
bare  proposing  and  comparing  of  these  opinions  with  our  doctrine, 
^vhich  is  according  to  the  word  of  God,  fully  manifests  that  they  are 
only  wood,  straw  and  stubble,  which  will  not  endure  the  day  of  trial. 
We  will  rather  attend  to  those  who  profess   this  truth,  and  will 
contemplate  a  while  the  excellence  of  true  Christians.     What  a  pre- 
cious Head  have  they  !  the  Son  of  God  is  their  prophet,  priest  and 
king.     Who  is  comparable  to  him  ?  collect  together  whatever  was 
glorious  i.i  all  the  prophets,  priests  and  kings,  and  it  will  all  vanish 


t«il  THE  KAMES  CHRIST  AND  CHRISTIAN. 

before  him.  He  is  much  fairer  than  the  children  of  men,  he  is 
anointed  above  his  fellows.  And  what  should  induce  Christians  to 
triumph  more,  is  that  he  possesseth  all  this  glory  not  merely  for 
himself,  but  for  them  also  :  for  is  he  a  prophet,  it  is  that  he  may 
reveal  to  them  the  true  ways  of  God,  and  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind  ^ 
is  he  a  priest,  it  is  to  reconcile  them  to  God  by  a  perfect  sacrifice 
for  all  their  iniquities  :  is  he  a  king,  it  is  that  he  may  subject  their 
souls  to  his  pleasant  yoke,  and  unite  them  to  the  fear  of  God's  name. 
And  thus  he  is  allsufficicnt  to  supply  all  their  needs  ;  and  verily  no 
Christian  needs  to  fear  that  it  will  displease  God,  that  he  seeks  and 
places  his  whole  salvation  in  Chrisi,  as  a  prophet,  priest  and  king,  a» 
though  he  had  usurped  these  offices,  or  Christians  had  thrust  him 
into  them.  No,  he  is  by  a  most  just  title,  prophet,  priest  and  king: 
the  Lord  God  himself  hath  anointed  him  to  these  offices  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  with  power.  Will  ye  have  more,  Christians,  that 
ye  may  rejoice  in  him  ?  behold,  he  hath  made  you  conformable  to 
himself,  so  that  ye  also  are  prophets,  priests  and  kings ;  ye  are  par- 
takers of  his  anointing  ;  as  ye  are  members  of  him  by  faith,  and  he 
is.  your  head,  his  grace  and  Spirit  hath  flowed  down  from  him  on  you. 
And  tiierefore  "  your  beauty  is  perfect  through  his  comeliness,  which 
he  hath  put  upon  you,"  Ezek.  xvi.  14. 

But,  friends,  imagine  not  that  all  who  bear  this  name  are  Chris- 
tians indeed  Many  have  thenname  that  they  live,  while  they  are 
dead.  It  doth  not  constitute  a  person  a  Christian,  that  he  is  one  out- 
wardly ;  therefore  we  ask  you,  and  each  of  you  in  particular,  why 
ye  are  called  Christians?  Is  it  because  ye  were  born  of  Christian 
parents  have  been  educated  among  Christians,  and  partake  of  the 
outward  p»'ivileges  of  Christendom,  the  word  and  sacraments  ?  Ye 
would  then  mistake  in  a  dreadful  manner,  and  deceive  yourselves 
with  vain  imaginations  ;  for  if  ill,  who  are  such,  were  really  Chris- 
tians, would  so  many  then  conduct  like  Jews,  Turks  and  heathens  ? 
and  is  it  not  true,  that  many  of  you  conduct  themselves,  as  if  they 
had  never  heard  of  Christianity  ?  For, 

1 .  Are  ye  indeed  so  well  pleased  with  it^  that  ye  conduct  your- 
selves worthily  of  the  Lord  Christ,  and  of  your  name  ?  is  it  not  your 
aim  to  have  only  the  name  that  ye  are  wise,  mighty,  rich  and  reli- 
gious ?  If  Paul  should  see  such  Christians,  would  he  not  say  now, 
as  he  did,  Philip,  ii.  21.  "  They  all  seek  their  own,  and  not  the 
things  which  are  Jesus  Christ's  ?" 

2.  Do  ye  not  rest  in  your  name,  that  ye  are  called  Christians  ? 
ye  conduct  as  the  Jews,  of  whom  the  apostle  saith,  Rom.  ii  17.  "  Be- 
hold, thou  art  called  a  Jew,  and  restest  in  the  law,  and'roakest  thy 


XII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q,  3U  3?.  369 

boast  of  <3od."    Have  ye  indeed  any  other  ground  of  secuiity  wit^ 
respect  to  your  eternal  condition  ? 

3.  Do  not  many  become  more  wicked  on  account  of  their  name  ? 
Alas  I  how  many  think  that  they  may  practise  every  kind  of  iniquity 
greedily,  because  they  imagine  that  they  have  a  Christ,  and  are  call- 
ed Christians,  and  thus  they  commit  whoredom,  because  of  their 
renown,"  like  the  Jews,  Ezek  xvi.  15.  "  Ungodly  men,  who  turn 
the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  into  lasciviousness,  and  deny  the 
only  Lord  Goa,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  Jude  vrs.  4. 

4.  Will  not  many  "  blaspheme  that  worthy  name,  by  which  a  true 
Christian  is  called  ?"  James  ii.  7.  Let  a  Christian  only  conduct 
laimself  like  a  Christian  by  abstaining  from  sin,  and  living  with  much 
seriousness  only  for  God  and  Christ,  will  not  a  nominal  Christian 
then,  who  cannot  endure  this  light,  presently  despise  such  an  one 
in  his  heart,  consider  him  as  a  subject  of  a  taunting  proverb,  and 
heap  every  kind  of  reproach  upon  him  ?  abominable  :  But  "  against 
whom  do  ye  sport  yourselves  ?  against  whom  do  ye  make  a  wide 
mouth,  and  draw  out  the  tongue  ?  are  ye  not  children  of  transgres- 
sion, a  seed  of  falsehood  ?"  thus  asks  the  Lord,  Isaiah  Ivii.  4. 

5.  It  is  true,  many  will  not  be  so  abominable,  at  leaat  will  not  con^ 
tinue  so :  they  now  and  then  repent  of  their  shameful  conduct,  and 
intend  also  to  become  at  length  true  and  better  Christians,  yea,  they 
do  also  many  things ;  but  they  never  become  members  of  Christ  by 
faith,  and  thus  partakers  of  his  anointing,  and  so  they  are  with 
Agrippa  only  "  almost  persuaded  to  become  Christians,"  but  not 
altogether,  Acts  xxvi.  28,  29.  And  they  never  enter  wholly  into 
the  kingdom  of  God,  although  they  "  are  not  far  from  thai  king- 
dom," Mark  xii   34. 

.  Alas  I  that  those  who  are  thus  disposed  knew  that  they  were  yet 
<<  without  Christ,  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  strangers 
from  the  covenants  of  promise,  having  no  hope,  and  without  God 
in  the  world,"  Eph.  ii,  12.  For  they  have  never  become  members' 
of  Christ,  and  partakers  of  his  anointing  by  faith.  Nominal  Chris- 
tians, ye  pretend  to  be  true  Christians,  but  ye  lie,  and  shall  be  proved 
liars  in  the  day  of  trial :  ye  are  an  occasion  of  reproach  to  God  and 
Christ :  "  For  the  name  of  God  is  blasphemed  through  you,  amongi 
the  Gentiles,  as  it  is  written,"  Rom.  ii.  24,  and  also  among-  all  who 
are  not  of  our  communion.  Your  name  shall  be  changed ;  the  Lord 
calls  your  name  **  Loruhamah,  not  having  obtained  mercy,  Loammi, 
not  my  people,"  Hosea  i.  6 — 9.  "  Magormissabib,  a  terrour  round 
about,"  Jer.  xx.  3.  "  And  ye  ^all  leave  your  name  for  a  curse  to 
God's  choseTi,"  Isaiah  Ixv.  15,    And  bo  your  name  shall  bear  wit* 


270  THE  NAMES  CHRIST  AND  CHRISTIAN. 

ness  against  you  at  the  last  day,  and  condemn  you.  Behold  it,  we 
entreat  you,  that  your  concern  may  drive  you  out  of  yourselves  to 
Christ,  in  order  to  become  members  of  liim  by  faith  and  pariakers 
of  his  anointing,  and  thus  not  only  almost,  but  altogether  true 
Christians. 

But  who  are  true  Christians  ?  They  are  those,  (a)  who  see  with 
grief  and  concern  their  misery,  that  they  are  poor,  and  wretched,  and 
blind,  and  naked ;  for  such  are  capable  and  proper  objects  of  his 
offices,  (b)  Who  have  chosen,  and  still  choose  him  with  respect  to 
his  offices  to  supply  their  needs,  that  he  may  remove  their  blindness, 
reconcile  their  guilt,  and  slay  their  sins,  as  his  enem.ies  ;  for  they 
become  members  of  him  through  faith,  (c)  They  have  chosen  him 
entirely*  not  only  to  be  their  prophet,  and  priest,  but  also  their  km^  ; 
they  do  not  desire  to  have  him  more  for  wisdom,  as  their  prophet, 
for  justification,  as  their  priest,  than  for  sanctification,  as  their  king* 
If  he  will  subject  them  wholly  to  himself,  will  cleanse  them  from 
their  seemingly  honourable,  pleasant,  and  profitable  sins,  and  direct 
their  ways  to  keep  his  statutes,  they  will  esteem  it  a  great  joy.  (d) 
These  persons  endeavour  to  be  conformed  to  him  in  their  behaviour, 
as  well  as  in  their  name  :  they  strive,  pray,  stir  up,  and  exert  them- 
selves for  this  end  :  "  for  he  that  saith  he  abideth  m  him,  ought  also 
50  to  walk,  as  he  v/alked,"  1  John  ii.  6   iii.  3. 

But  since  we  have  exhibited  nearly  the  same  evidences  in  treat- 
ing on  the  name  Jesus,  we  will  not  enlarge  further  on  this  matter  at 
present.  Let  each  of  you  only  examine  himself  by  what  hath  been 
said  now,  and  before,  and  see  whether  he  be  a  true  Christian,  and 
let  Ixim  bestir  himself,  in  order  to  conduct  as  becometh  a  Christian* 
And  therefore, 

1  Christians,  make  use  of  your  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King  ;  there 
is  in  him,  a  fulness  suited  to  your  necessities  :  are  ye  in  darkness, 
"  he  is  a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,"  Luke  ii.  32.  Do  ye  perceive 
that  ye  are  guilty  through  your  frequent  misbehaviour,  *'  we  have 
an  Advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  rii^hteous;  and  he  is 
the  propitiation  for  our  sins,"  1  John  ii.  1,2.  He  saith  in  behalf  of 
the  Christian  to  his  Father,  ''  deliver  him  from  going  down  to  the 
pit,  I  have  found  a  ransom,"  Job  xxxiii,  24.  Are  ye  overmatched, 
by  your  enemies,  "  the  Lord  is  our  defence,  and  the  holy  One  of  Is- 
rael is  our  King.  Help  is  laid  upon  one  who  is  mighty,"  Psalm 
Ixxxix.  19,  20.  This  grace  ought  not  to  remain  in  him  useless  and 
unemployed,  but  every  one  should  derive  by  faith  f'oni  his  fulness, 
grace  for  grace  :  yea,  it  is  his  office  and  work  to  bestow  this  grace 
upon  you,  he  is  anointed  and  exalted' for  this  purpose,  Isaiah  Ixi-  Ij 


Xir.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  31,32.  271 

S,  3.  Acts  V.  31.  Do  not  then  endeavour  to  deliver  yonrselves  by 
Tour  own  exertions,  but  rather,  employ  him,  as  his  office  and  work 
require. 

2.  Rejoice  and  glory  in  a  holy  manner  on  account  of  your  name. 
The  great  Theodosiu^  esteemed  it  a  greater  honour  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian, than  an  emperour.  A  certain  martyr  being  asked  what  his 
name  was,  said,  by  men  I  am  called  Probus,  but  my  most  honoura- 
ble name  is  Christian.  The  emperour  Julian,  who  had  been  only  a 
nominal  Christian,  and  knew  the  excellency  of  this  name,  envied  the 
believers  the  honour  of  it,  and  therefore  ordered  them  to  be  called 
Galileans,  and  not  Christians.  This  name  implies  indeed  that  ye 
are  prophets,  priests  and  kings  ;  ye  have  the  greatest  right  'o  it 
through  your  anointing,  yea,  this  renders  you  like  the  Son  of  God  in 
his  glorious  offices. 

3.  Conduct  yourselves  worthily  of  the  names  Christ  and  Christian 
that  yc  may  plainly  manifest  by  your  behaviour,  that  ye  are  parta- 
kers of  his  anointing,  prophets,  priests,  and  kings.  Let  his  name  be 
known  and  professed  by  you  :  dedicate  yourselves  wholly  in  all 
that  ye  are,  have,  and  do,  to  be  a  sacrifice  unto  him,  as  "  men  who 
have  hazarded  their  lives  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  " 
Acts  XV.  26.  Yea,  conduct  yourselves  with  a  lioly,  but  humble  f^reat- 
tiess  of  mind,  as  kings,  "  who  will  not  be  brought  under  the  power 
of  any,"  as  that  great  man  said,  1  Cor.  vi.  12.  Ye  are  too  noble, 
and  of  toD  high  a  condition  to  suffer  yourselves  to  be  enslaved  to  any 
sin,  or  to  any  creature,  without  and  contrary  to  the  will  of  God  ;  yc 
must  bow  down  only  to  your  Lord,  snd  be  only  to  his  praise  :  for  "  ye 
are  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation,  a  pecu- 
liar people  ;  that  ye  should  show  forth  the  praises  of  him,  who  hath 
called  you  out  of  darkness  into  his  marvellous  light,"  I  Peter  ii.  9 
and  ye  rtust  lay  aside  whatever  opposeth  this  name  :  '« Let  every 
one  that  nameth  the  n.me  of  Christ  depart  from  iniquity,"  2  Tim. 
ii.  19. 

Are  ye  poor,  let  it  suffice  you,  that  ye  are  rich  in  Christ :  «  Fop 
ye  know  the  grace  of  oo.r  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  though  he  was 
rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  ye  through  his  poverty 
might  become  rich,"  2  Cor*  viii.  9.  Do  men  reproach  you,  he 
will  behold  and  visit  it :  "  He  suffered  no  man  to  do  them  wrong  ; 
yea,  he  reproved  kings .  for  their  sakes,  saying,  *'  touch  not  mine 
anointed,  and  do  my  prophets  no  harm,"  Psalm  cv.  14,  15,  Doth 
your  glory  not  beam  forth  much  at  present,  the  Lord  will  perfect  it 
hereafter  ;  "  for  ye  shall  see  his  face,  and  his  name  shall  be  in  your 
foreheads,"  Rev.  xxii,  4.  And  so  ^*  the  right^oKs  ^ball  shine  as  the 
sun  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father."     Amen, 


(272) 


THE  SONSHIP 


AND 


GOVERNMENT  OF  CHRIST^ 


XIII.  LORD'S  DAYo 


•John  i.  4§.    Nathanael  answered  and  said  un^^  hini)  Rabbi,  thoU  art 
the  Son  of  God,  thou  art  the  King  of  Israel. 

Q.  33.  Why  is  Christ  called  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  since 
we  are  also  ^he  children  of  God  P 

A.  Because  Christ  alone  is  the  eternal  ahJ  natural  Son, of  God  i 
but  we  are  children  adopted  of  God,  by  grace,  for  his  sake. 

Q,  vl4.    Wherefore  callest  thou  him  our  Lord? 

A.  Because  he  hath  redeemed  us,  both  soul  and  body,  from  all  ouf 
sins ;  not  with  j^jold  and  silver,  but  with  bis  precious  blood,  and  hath 
delivered  us  from  all  the  power  of  the  devil,  and  hath  thus  made  us 
kis  own  property. 

THE  Lord,  moved  with  compas«;ion  toward  his  afflicted  church, 
promiseth  her,  Hosea  i.  7,  "  I  will  have  mercy  on  the  house 
ol  Judah,  and  will  save  them  by  the  Lord  their  God,  and  will  not  save 
them  by  bow,  nor  by  sword,  nor  by  battle,  by  horses,  nor  by  horse- 
men." Judah  was  often  afflicted  by  malicious  neighbours,  end  the 
Lord  had  often  delivered  them  by  bow,  swoid,  battle,  horses,  and 


XIIL  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  35,  34.  275 

horsemen  ;  but  this  was  too  little  for  the  Lord,  he  chose  to  bestow  a 
greater  salvation  on  them,  and  to  deliver  them  by  tiie  Lord  their 
God.  The  misery  of  Judah  was  indeed  not  only  a  bodily,  but  also  a 
spiritual  and  sinful  miseYy;^Kkh"s.HbjeQted  them  to  the  wrath  of 
God,  to  the  curse  of  the  law,  ai^d  to  death,  against  which  no  weap- 
ons could  avail,  and  from  which  none  but  the  Lord  their  Cod,  the 
Messiah,  could  deliver  them.  It  was  necessary,  in  order  to  deliver 
them  fi'om  this  misery,  that  the  infinite  v»^rath  of  God  sho\ild  be 
borne,  an  everlasting  righteousness  procured,  an  i  etfectually  app'.ed  ' 
and  he  v/ho  did  this  behooved  to  be  the  object  of  all  reli  ious  thanks- 
givings. No  rational,  nor  irrational  crt^ature  was  capable  of  this  .-  it 
was  therefote  necessary,  that  he  who  should  deliver  Judah,  should  be 
the  Lord  God  ;  th^i'efcrelhe  gr(?^rt'Peti\'ei'6r\8dso  sailh  '•'there  is  no 
God  beside"  tile,"  iSal^h  xfv;  21.  *  FoY  which  reason  the  instructor^ 
having  taught  in  the  eleventh  Lord's  day  that  the  Deliverer  is  Jesus 
the  Saviour,  and  in  the  twelfth  Lord's  day  that  he  is  lor  this  end  the 
Christ,  the  anointed  Prophet,  Priest  and  King,  he  now  s'.ov.s  that  he 
is  the  Son  of  God,  and  thus  also  the  true  God  and  Lord  in  this  Lord's 
tlay.  He  had  indeed  declared* in  the  fiiteenth  question,  that  the  Me- 
diator and  Redeemer  must  be  God,  and  therefore  he  judged  it  also 
necessary  to  inform  us  that  he  is  God,  and  particularly  the  Son  of 
God,  who  is  mighty  to  redeem. 

,   The  present  UpI^d's  day  affords  two.paftlculaustliat  require  our  ex- 
planation :  " 

L  Why  Jesus  Christ  is  called  the  Son  of  God,  Q.  23. 
IL  yVhy  believers  call  Jiim  their  Lord,  Q.  34. 
1.  With  respect  to  the  first  particular  it  is  asked,*'  Why  is  he  cal- 
led the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  since  we  are  also  the  children  of 
God?"  It  is  therefore  proposed  as  a  difficulty,  that  since  v/e  are 
children  of  God,  Christ  cannot  be  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  be- 
cause he  should  then  have  brethren,  and  Gcd  would  have  more  than 
one  Son. 

In  order  to  understand  this  properly,  %ve  must  consider  that  Christ 
is  called  the  Son  of  God  in  one  sense,  and  that  reasonable  creatures 
are  called  sons  and  children  of  God  in  another  sense.  The  angels, 
because  they  were  created  immediately  by  God  in  special  glory,  after 
his  image,  are  called  *'  sons  of  God,"  Job  xxxviii:  7,  as  also  Adam, 
Luke  iii.  38.  And  so  likewise  all  men,  who  have  proceeded  from 
God  through  Adam,  Mai.  ii.  iO.  Magistrates  are  also  called  '*  chil- 
dien  of  the  Most  High,"  Psalm  Ixxxii.  6,  because  God  hath  given 
them  great  glory,  and  dominion  over  their  fellow-men :  but  true  be- 
lievers are  especially  the  children  of  God  by  a  gracious  adoption,  rt?- 


274    THE  SONSHIP  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHRIST. 

generation  and  spiritual  marriage  with  the  Son  of  God,  as  we  havft 
shown  on  the  ninth  Lord's  day.  Because  others  join  themselves  to 
believers  by  an  outward  profession,  they  also  are  called  the  children 
of  God  from  the  better  part  of  the  church,  though  they  are  not  so 
in  spirit  and  truth,  but  only  in  the  letter,Gen.  vii.  12. 

But  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  in  another,  and  a  more  exalted  sense, 
on  account  of  which  he  is  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  and  indeed 
so  that  he  is  the  proper  Son  of  God,  bein^  "  the  eternal  and  natural 
Son  of  God,"  of  the  same  essence  with  the  Father,  as  one  man  is  a 
son  of  another,  who  is  a  partaker  of  his  Father's  nature  by  his  birth. 
In  order  to  explain  this,  we  will  show,  1.  That  he  is  of  the  same 
essence  with  the  Father,  very  God.  2.  What  is  the  ground  and 
tru"  reason  of  his  Sonship. 

I.  We  must  show  that  he  is  of  the  same  essence  wi'h  the  Father 
and  so  very  God  for  our  own  confirmation,  and  in  order  to  confute 
the  Socinians,  who  assert  that  he  was  but  a  mere  man,  who  had 
no  existence  at  all  before  his  birth  of  Mary :  they  would  indeed  with 
feigned  words  make  merchandize  of  us,  in  order  to  beguile  us,  say- 
ign,  that  many  titles  which  belong  to  God  are  given  to  Christ,  and 
that  he  i^  therefore  Ciod  ;  but  they  will  not  allow  that  he  is  the  su- 
preme God,  and  God  co-essential  with  the  Father  ;  but  that  he  is 
truly  the  supreme  God,  co-essential  with  the  Father,  appears  not 
only  from  the  equality  and  oneness  of  his  essence  with  that  of  the 
Father  and .  Moly  Ghobt,  John  v.  18.  x.  30  as  we  have  proved  more 
■oarticularly  on  the  eigiith  Lord's  day,  but  also  from  tlie  names,  attri- 
butes, works  and  honour  of  Cod,  which  are  ascribed  to  him  in  the 
word  of  God  ;  for  he  who  is  called  God,  who  hath  the  attributes  of 
God,  and  doth  the  works  of  God,  and  whom  we  must  honour  and 
serve  as  God,  he  is  the  true  and  supreme  God.  Now  Christ  is  cal- 
led God.  he  halh  the  attrihutes,  and  doth  the  works  of  God,  and  we 
must  honour  and  serve  him  as  God ;  consequently  he  is  the  true 
God.  The  first  proposition  cannot  be  denied  ;  for  how  should  we 
otherwise  prove  hat  any  one  is  God  ?  The  second  proposition  is 
also  evident :  for 

(a)  The  names  of  God  are  ascribed  to  Christ ,  for  he  is  called  God 
Psalm  xlv.  6,  7.  Heb.  i.  8,  9.  ''  To  the  'on  he  Saith,  thy  throne 
O  God,  is  for  ever  and  ever  ;  thei^efofe,  O  God,  (hy  God  hath  anoin- 
ted thee."  And  the  name  of  God  is  given  to  him,  not  only  as  a 
name  of  honour  and  office,  but  also  subjectively,  as  that  which  is 
ascribed  to  him  as  a  subject ;  "  God  v  as  manifest  in  the  flesh," 
l!  Tim.  iii.  16.  See  also  John  xx.  28.  Acts  xx.  28.  And  so  it  is 
froid,  that  <'  he  was  in  the  fcim  of  God,"   Philip,  ii,  8— <''the  tnie 


XIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  33^34.  275 

God,"  1  John  v.  SO.—*'  the  mighty  God,"  Isaiah  ix.  5-^"  God  our 
all,  blessed  for  evermore,"  Pom.  ix.  5.  Therefore  the  name  Jeho- 
vah is  also  appropriated  to  him  :  "  Me  is  called  the  Lord  our  right- 
,eousness,"  Jer  xxiii.  5,  6.  This  we  tind  also,  Hosca  i.  7.  Isaiah 
vi,  /— 10,  comparc;d  with  1  Cor.  x.  9,  10.  Compare  also  Psalm 
Ixviii.  18,  with  Eph.  iv.  7,  8.  It  is  true  that  when  the  Jews  would 
stone  him  for  blasphemy,  because  he,  being  a  man,  made  hims;ilf 
God^  he  s?.id,  "  Is  it  nm  written,  in  your  law,  I  have  said  •■  t  are 
j^ods  ?"  Joim  X.  but  we  cannot  infer  frr-m  this  that  he  Ccdls  himself 
God  in  the  same  sense,  in  which  the  magistrates  ae  called  gods  ; 
for  he  saith,  vrs  30,  that  *'  he  is  one  with  the  Father  ;"  but  he  con- 
cludt".  fr-m  the  less  to  the  greater,  that  if  magistrates  be  called  gods, 
he  did  not  blaspheme  when  he  called  himself  the  son  of  God,  be- 
cause he  was  greater  and  worthier  than  the  magistrates,  John  x. 
30 — 38. 

(b)  The  divine  attributes  of  supreme  perfection,  independence, 
simplicity,  and  unchangeableness  are  ascribed  to  Christ.  Rev.  i.  8, 
"He  is  before  all  things,  from  everlasting,"  Coll.  i.  17.  Micha  v.  1. 
He  is  allknowing,  "  knowing  all  things,'  John  xxi.  17.  See  John 
ii.  24,  25.  Rev.  ii.  23.  Ye.^,  he  is  "the  Almighty,"  Rev.  i.  8. 
Philip,  iii.  2U 

(c)  He  doth  the  works  of  God  :  «  for  what  the  Father  doth,  the 
same  doth  the  Son  likewise,"  John  v.  l9.  «  Of  old  he  laid  the  foun- 
dations of  the  earth,  and  the  heavens  are  the  work  of  his  hands," 
Psalm  cii.  26,  27,  28.  Heb.  i.  10,  11,  12.  Psalm  xxviii.  6.  John 
i.  1,  2,  3.  Coil.  i.  17.  The  work  of  providence  is  also  ascribed  to 
him  ;  "  for  all  things  consist  by  him,"  Coll.  i.  17.  Heb.  i.  3.  Doing 
miracles  and  wonders  by  his  own  power,  was  his  proper  work, 
and  it  is  "  God  alone,  who  doth  wonderous  things,"  Psalm  Ixxii.  18. 
cxxxvi.  4.  Yea,  the  whole  work  of  redemption  is  ascribed  to  him, 
as  his  ceconomy ;  but  this  is  the  work  of  God  the  Lord  only,"  Hosea 
i.  7. 

(d)  "  All  men  must  honour  him  also,  even  as  they  honour  the 
Father,"  John  V.  23.  Isaiah  xlv.  23.  Rom.  xiv.  10,11.  For  we 
must  worship  him,  as  btephen  did.  Acts  vii.  59.  60,  and  all  the  Chris- 
tians, I  Cor.  i.  2.  It  is  the  will  of  God  '*  that  all  the  angels  should 
worship  him,"  Heb.  1.  6.  And  this  is  also  a  divine  honour,  which  we 
must  offer  to  none  but  God,  Matt.  iv.  10.  We  must  be  baptised  in 
his  name.  Matt,  xxviii.  19,  but  not  in  the  "lame  of  cuiy  creature, 
I  Cor.  i.  13.  We  must  believe  in  him  as  wed  as  in  God  the  Fa- 
ther John  xiv.  1.  Psalm  ii.  12.  But  "cursed  is  the  man  who  trust- 
•sth  in  nmn,"  xvii.  5. 


^76    THE  50NSHIP  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHRIST. 

It  naturally  follows  from  these  several  particulars,  considered  in 
connexion,  that  he  is  the  supreme  and  true  God,  co-essen- 
tial with  the  Father,  it  is  of  no  avail  what  the  Socinians  object 
here,  thai  Christ  is  a  man,  inferior  to  the  Father,  the  Father's  ser- 
vanr,  that  he  humbled  himself  so  low,  and  more  of  this  kind  ;  for  we 
do  not  say  tiiat  he  is  God,  as  far  as  he  is  man,  inferior  to  the  Fa- 
ther, or  humbled  ;  and  therefore  these  suggestions  do  not  affect  our 
opinion.  Yea,  the  Socinians  are  obliged  to  explain  how  it  is  possible 
that  he  who  is  inferior  to  the  Father,  should  nevertheless  be  God, 
See  Matt,  xxii.  43 — 4&.  They  cannot  say  that  he  is  a  God,  inferi- 
or to  the  Father  ;  for  then  we  should  have  two  Gods  ;  besides,  there  is 
no  superiority,  nor  inferiority  in  the  Godhead,  the  inferior  God  is 
no  God. 

2.  But  that  on  which  we  must  insist  most  of  all  with  the  instruc- 
tor, is,  what  is  the  ground  and  true  reason  of  his  Sonship.  The 
Arians  imagined  that  Christ  was  called  the  Son  of  God,  because 
God  created  him  before  all  things  ;  but  this  opinion  is  become  obso- 
lete. The  Socinians  imagine  that  the  grounds  of  Christ's  Sonship 
are,  (a)  that  he  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  (b)  that  he  was 
sanctified  by  the  Father  ;  which  imports  that  he  received  abundantly 
the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  was  sent  into  the  world  with  a  divine 
authority  and  power  to  save  mankind,  (c)  that  the  Father  loves 
him  in  a  special  manner,  and  more  than  others,  (d)  that  he  was  rais- 
ed from  the  dead,  (e)  and  exalted  to  the  right  hand  of  the  Father  ; 
but  these  are  not  the  true  grounds  of  his  Sonship  ;  for  he  was  the 
Son  of  God  before  he  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  sanctified, 
raised  from  the  dead,  and  exalted  ;  for  *^  he  was  brought  forth  when 
there  were  no  depths,"  Prov.  viii.  24.  If  these  be  the  grounds  of 
his  Sonship,  then  be  is  the  Son  of  God  only  according  to  his  human 
nature,  but  not  according  to  his  divine  nature,  contrary  to  Rom.  i. 
3,  4,  where  it  is  said,  that  "  he  was  of  the  seed  of  David  according  to 
the  flesh,"  (and  so  David's  son  according  to  the  human  nature,)  "  but 
the  Son  of  God  according  to  the  Spint  of  holiness."  And  truly  the 
Socinian  grounds  do  not  constitute  him  the  Son  of  God,  but  suppose, 
and  prove  that  he  is  the  Son.     See  Rom.  i.  4. 

The  church  hath  always  opposed  these  errours,  even  to  the  pres- 
ent day,  and  taught  that  the  only  and  true  ground  of  the  Sonship 
of  Christ  is  his  eternal  an  J  natural  generatFon  by  the  Father,  who 
communicated  his  essence  in  and  by  himself  to  the  Son,  in  an  incom- 
prehensible manner,  without  change.  This  was  properly  expressed 
by  the  council  of  Nice  against  Arius,  in  the  year  325,  when  that  as- 
sembly obliged  the  professors  of  Christianity  to  say,    *'  We  believe 


-      XIII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  33,  34-  -      S7r 

in  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  begotten  of  the  Father  before  all 
worlds,  God  of  God,  light  of  light,  very  God  of  very  God,  begotten^ 
not  made,  being  of  one  substance  with  the  Father." 

But  is  it  not  a  lamentable  consideration  ?  men  have  risen  up 
among  us,  speaking  perverse  things,  for  they  deny  the  eternal  and 
natural  generation  of  the  Son  of  God  ;  and  say  that  he  is  called  the 
Son  of  God,  because  he  is  co-essential  with  the  Father.  So  they 
taught  at  tlie  first,  but  seeing  that  this  could  not  be  the  proper 
ground  of  his  sonship,  they  have  devised  and  pretended  something 
else,  to  wit,  that  the  ground  of  Christ's  sonship  is,  that  he  was  or- 
dained, disposed,  or  appointed  and  sent  by  the  Father  to  perform  the 
office  of  Mediator.  And  are  ye  desir^ius  of  knowing  the  secret  ?  these 
men  have  penuaded  themselves,  that  man  is  possessed  of  a  treasure 
of  innate  ideas,  which  are  to  be  the  rule  of  all  the  conceptions,  that 
he  ought  to  form  of  the  truth,  and  that  whatever  agrees  not  with 
those  ideas  ought  to  be  rejected  as  an  errour.  Now  since  they  can- 
not find  in  themselves  an  idea  of  such  a  divine  generation,  they  have 
therefore  rejected  it,  and  substituted  something  else  in  the  place 
of  it.  * 

But  it  is  evident  to  us,  that  Christ  is  the  eternal  and  natural  Soxk 
of  God  by  an  eternal  and  inconceivable  generation. 

1.  Because  the  Son  of  God  saith  this  of  himself,  John  v.  26.  «  As 
the  Father  hath  life  in  himself,  so  hath  he  given  to  the  bon  to  have 
life  in  himself."  It  is  certain  that  the  life  of  the  Father  is  his  es» 
Scne-e  ;  that  he  hath  this  life  and  ^sence  in  himself ;  that  he  hath 
it  essentially,  necessarily  and  independently  ;  that  the  Son  hath  life 
in  himself  thus  also ;  but  how  hath  he  this  life  and  etesence  in  him- 
self; it  is  given  to  him  by  his  father,  to  have  it  in  himself.  Who 
can  understand  this,  unless  he  will  admit  such  a  generation  of  the 
Son  of  God  ?  Add  to  this, 

2.  That  the  word  of  God  expressly  informs  us,  that  he  was  begot- 
ten of  the  Father  from  eternity.  Thus  he  speaks  of  himself,  Rev. 
viii.  24,  25.  "  When  there  were  no  depths,  1  was  brought  forth. 
Before  the  hills  I  was  brought  forth."  Therefore  the  Father  said 
also  to  his  Son,  before  he  had  promised  him  an  inheritance,  and  so 

^  Our  author  hath  rejpect  here  to  Herman  Alexander  Rncll,  and  his  disci- 
ples.. Hflfwasa  professor  cf  theology  in  the  uni.versity  of  Fpaneker,  and  after- 
wards of  Utrecht,  m  the  United  Provinces.  His  opinions  were  condemned  by 
the  synods  of  the  United  Provinces,  and  he  consented  to  bury  them  in  silence 
for  the  peace  of  the  church.  Although  his  disciples  gave  solemn  protestations 
cf  the  soundness  of  iheir  religious  sentiments,  they  were  nevertheless  suspect- 
ed of  concealed  errours. 


\ 


2rs    THE  SONSHIP  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHRIST. 

from  eternity,  *'  Thou  art  my  Son,  this  clay  liave  I  begotten  thee," 
psalm  ii.  7.  Therefore  lie  is  also  called  the  only  begotten  Son  of 
God,  John  i.  14,  18.  iii-  16.  it  ought  not  to  be  said,  that  Psalm  ii. 
7,  speaks  of  th»  resurrection  of  Christ,  because  Paul  suith,  Acts  xiii. 
32,  33,  *'  We  declare  unto  you  glad  tidin:^s,  how  that  the  promise 
which  was  made  unlo  the  fatheis,  God  hath  fulfilled  the  same  unto 
us  their  children,  in  that  he  hath  raised  'ip  Jesus  again  :  as  it  is  also 
written  in  the  second  plalm,  Phou  art  my  ^on,  this  day  have  1  be- 
gotten thee ;"  for  he  only  showeth  in  whom  God  hath  fulfilled  the 
promise,  namely  in  his  >on,  whom  he  hath  begotten,  of  whom  he 
spoke  in  the  second  psalm  ;  bui  in  the  thirty-fourth  verse  the  apostle 
undertakes  to  prove  that  God  had  raised  him  from  the  dead,  for  he 
begins  there  a  new  proposition,  sayini;,  "  and  that  he  raised  him  up 
from  the  dead  now  no  more  to  return  to  corruption ;"  he  proves  this 
not  from  Psalm  ii.  7,  bu*  from  Isaiah  Iv,  33,  and  from  Psalm  xvi. 
10.  Should  it  be  said,  that  the  phrase  "to  bring  forth"  signifies 
someti  es  to  reveal  or  discover,  as  Prov.  xvii.l7,  "  A  brother  is 
born  (or  brought  forth)  in  adveraiiy,"  and  Prov.  xxvii.  1.  "Thou 
knov/est  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forti),"  we  will  admit,  that  to 
bring  forth,  denotes  in  these  passages  improperly  to  reveal,  or  dis- 
cover; but  must  it  therefore  be  understood  in  such  a  sense  in  those 
passages  which  sptak  of  the  feneration  of  the  ^ion  ?  surely  no  :  for 
Christ  is  always  said  to  ha'v  e  been  brought  fgrih  in  such  a  manner, 
that  he  became  a  Son  therebv,  and  that  the  Father  gave  hira  life. 
Moreover  the  phrase,  to  bring  ^orth  signifies  in  those  passages  not 
only  to  reveal,  but  <ilso  to  bring  forlh,  as  a  mother  brings  forth  a 
child. 

3.  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  so,  that  "  he  is  the  express  image  of 
the  Father's  Person,"  Heb.  i.  4.  God  hath  expressed  his  image  also 
in  angels  and  men,  but  they  cannot  on  that  account  be  called  the  ex- 
press image  of  his  person,  as  the  apostle  also  shows,  when  he  adds, 
vrs.  34,  "  Being  made  so  much  better  than  the  angels,  as  fie  hat'a 
by  inheritance  obtained  a  more  cxccUtnt  name  than  they.  For  unto 
which  of  the  angels  said  he  at  any  time,  Thou  art  ray  Son,  this  day 
have  I  begotten  thee  ?  and  again,  I  will  be  to  him  a  Father,  and  he 
shall  be  to  me  a  Son"  We  cannot  surely  understand  this  any  other 
way,  than  of  a  proper  generation,  by  which  the  Father  communi- 
cated his  essence  to  his  Son. 

4.  Christ  is  God's  "  own  Son,"  Rom.  viii.  32,  and  God  is  "his  own 
Father,"  John  v.  18.     Now  we  never  say  that  any  person  is  an  own 

•6on,  or  own  father,  except  on  account  of  a  proper  and  natural  gen- 


XIII.  LOD'S  DAY,  Q.  33,  34.  279 

^l^ation  :  therefore  Christ  also,  as  God's  own  Son,  must  have  been 
properly  begotten  by  his  Father.     We  say  further, 

5.  That  he  is  the  .*-on  of  God  according  to  his  divine  nature,  as 
he  is  the  Son  of  David  according  to  his  human  nature..  This  the 
apostle  showeth  us,  Rom.  i.  3,  4.  **  Concerning  his  Son,  which  was 
made  of  the  seed  of  David  according  to  the  flesh,  and  declared  to  be 
the  Son  of  God  with  power,  according  to  the  Spirit  of  holiness." 
How  was  he  made  according  to  the  flesh  of  the  seed  of  David  ?  was 
it  not  by  being  born  in  a  proper  manner  of  Mary,  David's  daughter? 
so  then  he  was  the  Son  of  God  also  according  to  the  Spirit  of  holi- 
ness by  a  proper  generation  of  God.     Finally, 

6.  If  Christ  be  not  properly  begotten  ot  God,  then  there  is  no 
ground  for  his  being  called  the  Son  of  God,  and  for  calling  God  his 
Father  ;  for  the  only  ground  of  the  relation  of  st  son  to  a  father,  or 
of  a  father  to  a  son,  is  the  generation  of  the  son  by  the  father.  Yea 
if  Christ  be  not  begotten  by  the  Father,  the  Son  may  be  called  the 
Father,  and  the  Fa' her  the  Son.  They  then  who  deny  the  genera- 
tion of  the  Son  by  the  Father  must  necessarily  decline  either  to  the 
opinion  of  Sabellius,  who  denied  all  distinction  of  Persons  in  the 
Godhead,  confounding  them  with  one  another,  and  holding  that  there 
Were  only  three  distinct  names  of  Father  Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  and 
thus  si'bverting  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  :  for  when  we  deny  that 
the  Son  is  begotten,  and  that  the  Holy  Ghost  proceedeth,  we  then 
destroy  the  only  foundation  of  every  distinction  of  the  Persons,  and 
of  their  personal  properties,  and  must  therefore  say  that  the  Father 
is  the  Son,  and  the  Son  is  the  Holy  Ghost :  and  thus  the  Persons 
will  be  no  more  than  three  negations,  and  only  three  names.  Or  if 
thosij  who  deny  the  generation  of  tlie  Son  will  not  decline  to  the  er- 
rour  of  the  Sabellians,  they  must  necessarily  abandon  themselves  to 
the  impious  heresay  of  the  Tritheists,  who  held  m  the  ancient  church 
that  there  were  three  Gods :  for  when  they  deny  that  the  Son  is 
begotten,  and  that  the  Holy  Ghost  proceedeth,  and  do  thus  subvert 
the  only  foundationof  a  distinction  of  Persona,  they  necessarily  assert 
three  distinct  essences,  which  are  essentially  distinct  from  each 
other :  and  so  there  will  be  not  only  three  divine  Persons,  but  also 
three  divine  essences.  And  they  do  thus  also  wholly  subvert  the 
foundation  of  the  oneness  of  ihe  essence  of  the  three  Persons,  since 
we  cannot  say  that  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost  are  one  and  the 
same  essence  with  the  Father,  as  this  is  founded  only  in  the  genera- 
lion  of  the  Son,  and  the  proceeding  of  the  Holy  Ghost  from  the 
Father.  See  how  riiariy  grievous  consequences  unavoidably  follow 
from  denying  the  generation  of  the  Son, 


no    THE  SONSHIP  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHllISt. 

We  know  that  they  would  put  us  off  here,  by  saying  that  (a)  th« 
ground  of  the  sonship  of  Christ  is,  that  he  is  co-essential  with  the 
Father ;  but  this  cannot  be  the  ground  of  his  beinj;  the  Son  of  God  : 
the  expression  co-essential,  doth  not  require  this  ;  this  would  rather 
make  him  a  brother  of  God  ;  therefore  dismissing  this  pretence, 
these  men  say  (b)  that  his  appointment  and  delagation  to  the  office 
of  Mediator  intimates  his  generation  of  the  Father,  and  is  the  ground 
of  his  sonship  ;  but  neither  can  this  suggest  to  any  one  a  notion  of 
generation,  nor  a  foundation  of  sonship  ;  his  office  of  Mediator,  and 
his  appointment  and  delegation  thereto  constitute  him  indeed  a  ser- 
vant and  a  Christ,  but  not  a  :.on  of  the  Father  ;  he  was  also  a  Son 
of  God  before  this.  See  John  iii.  16.  Rom.  viii.  3.  Gal.  iv.  4.  But 
lest  it  should  leak  out,  that  these  men  believe  that  there  are  three 
Gods,  they  say  that  the  ti.ree  Persons  have  always  the  same  supreme 
and  perfect  ideas,  and  acts  of  thinking.  But  how  doth  it  happen,  that 
three  distinct  persons  have  always  the  same  ideas  ?  this  is  inexplica- 
ble by  those  who  deny  that  the  Son  is  begotten,  and  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  proceedeth  from,  and  still  subsists  in  the  essence  ot  the 
Father  :  but  perhaps  we  may  see  by  this  what  these  men  think  of  the 
onenessof  the  three  Persons  in  tile  Godhe:.d,  to  wit,  that  they  are 
not  one  in  essence,  but  only  in  acts  of  thinking. 

So  much  da  these  men  say,  though  to  no  purpose,  in  order  to 
excuse  their  errour.  But  what  do  they  object,  in  order  to  subvert 
the  doctrine  of  the  church  concerning  the  generation  of  the  Son  by 
the  Father  ?  They  say,  (1)  that  the  third  Person  is  called  Spirit  to 
express  his  spiritual  work  of  grace,  and  that  therefore  the  second 
Person  must  also  be  called  Son,  to  express  his  Mediatorship  and 
work  of  grace  ;  but  it  is  not  true,  that  the  third  Person  is  called  the 
Spirit  on  account  of  his  work,  but  he  is  so  called  on  account  of  his 
personal  proceeding  from  the  Father,  and  from  the  Son.  The  epithet 
"  holy"  denotes  indeed  his  work  of  grace :  but  his  personal  name 
Spirit  doth  not,  as  we  must  show  upon  the  twentieth  Lord's  day. 
They  say  further,  (2)  that  the  names  "  Son"  and  '"  Word"  are  used 
one  for  the  other  as  sii'nifying  the  same  thing  ;  for  he  who  is  called 
in  Matt,  xxviii.  19,  "Son"  is  called  1  John  v.  7,  the  •*  Word."  Now, 
say  they,  the  name  "  Word  "  hath  respect  to  the  Mediatorship  of 
Christ,  and  therefore  the  name  "  Son  "  hath  also  respect  to  his  Me- 
diatorship. But  the  names  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  and  King  of  Israel 
^re  also  used  one  for  another.  Matt.  xvi.  16.  John  i.  50,  yet  who 
sees  not  thar  the  one  name  exhibits  him  to  our  thoughts  somewhat 
difterent  from  the  other  ?  Moreover  the  names  "  God  "  and  "  Word" 
are  used  one  foi  the  other,  John  i.    U.  1  Tim.  iii.  J 6.     Jf  now  the 


■  XIII.  XORD'S  DAT,  Q.  33,  34„  281 

name  "  Word  "  express  his  Mediatorship,  will  not  the  name  "  God" 
aUo  express  his  Mediatorship  ?  God  forbid.     Who  knows  not  that 
Chiist  is  God  and  man  in  one  person,  and  thus  ^also  Mediator,  and 
that  he  is  therefore  sometimes  denominated  from  one,  and  at  other 
times  from  the   other  nature,  and  also  by  different  names  from  his 
offices  ?  They  say  finally,  (3)  that  such  a  proper  generation  implies 
that  the  Son  is  inferior  and  later,  than  the  Father,  and  therefore  that 
he  is  not  independent,  eternal  and  impassible  :  but  if  these  men  had 
not  suffered  themselves  to  be  spoiled  by  philosophy,  they  would  have 
considered,  that  "  such  knowledge  was  too  high  for  us,  that  we  can- 
not attain  to  it,  and  that  we  cannot  find  out  the   Almighty  to  perfec- 
tion."    bee   Psalm  cxxxix.  6,  14,    18.  Job  Xi.  7,   8,  9.     It  is  indeed 
true,  tha-  a  father,   who  begets  a  son  withoiJt  his  essence,  is  before 
and  greater  than  his  son  ;  so  also  when  God  produced  the  creatures 
by  creation  without  his  essence,  tliey  could  not  be   mdep'-ndent  nor 
eternal ;  but  it  is  not  so  with  the  Son  ;  for  he  was  not  created  with- 
out tne  essence  of  Gt>d,  but  be-otten  of  him  in  his  essence,  by  an 
immanent  act  of  the   Faiher  within   him.     And  thertlort^  we  say 
with  the  anctents  that  this  generation  of  the  Son  by  the  Father  was 
(a)  akatalcfitos^  inconceivable,  Prov.  xxx.  4.  (b)  achroma,  without  suc» 
cession  of  time,   Micha  v.  1'  (c)   acho^istos,  inseparable,  John  i.  1. 
xiv    10,  11.  (d)  a/uit/ios,   impassible,  and  without   any  change  in  the 
Father,  or  in  the    on,  James  i.  IS. 

We  have  insisted  so  long  on  the  sonship  of  Christ,  because  the 
instructor  speaks  of  it  particularly  in  this  1  ord's  day,  and  also  be- 
cause it  is  the  scope  of  the  whole  gospel,  that  man  should  know  and 
believe  in  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God,  John  xx.  31,  as  the  Father  there- 
fore proclaims  him  before  the  whrle  world  to  be  "  his  Son,  whom 
we  must  hear,"  Matt.  iii.  17.  Yea,  "whosoever  deni^th  the  Sen, 
the  same  hath  not  the  Father,"  1  John  iii.  23,  And  therefore  we 
hold  the  generation  of  the  Son  to  be  a  fundamental  doctrine  of  the 
faith  ;  for  that  is  a  fundamental  doctrine  of  the  faith  which  is  the 
foundation  of  other  doctrines  of  revelation,  which  are  either  bcheved 
or  denied,  according  as  that  first  foundation  is  believed  or  denied. 
Now  it  is  evident,  that  if  we  deny  this  generation  of  the  Son,  we 
must  then  also  deny  that  Christ  is  truly  the  Son  of  God  ;  that  there 
are  three  distinct  Persons  in  the  divine  essence,  because  the  only 
foundation  of  the  distinction  between  the  Persons  is  then  destroyed  ; 
or  we  must  deny  the  oneness  of  the  essence  of  the  three  Pe^sons^ 
We  have  shown  all  this  more  fully  above. 

.  Since  then  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  *'  the  Father  hath  made  him 
heir  of  all  things,"  Heb.  i,  1,2.    And  so  he  is  also  "  King  of  Israel," 

Qq 


232    THE  SOXSHIP  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHRIST, 

John  i.  49,  and  thus  also   ''our  Lord,"  as  he    is   also    called  in   the 
Christian  creed,  which  is  explained  in  the  thirty-fourth  question. 

H.  The  catecliisni  doth  not  ask  barely,  "  Why  callest  thou  him 
Lord  ?"  for  we  should  then  answer  because  he  is  God,  and  hath  re- 
ceived, as  Mediator,  power  over  all  things,  that  he  may  employ  them 
for  the  furtherance  of  his  kingdom  ;  for  "  he  hath  received  all  power 
in  hedven  and  in  earth,"  Matt,  xxviii.  18.  And  therefore  "he  hath 
bought  the  false  teachers  also,  who  deny  him,  their  Lord,  and  bring 
swift  destruction  upon  themselves,"  2  Peter  ii.  1.  But  it  is  asked 
here,  Why  callest  thou  him  "  our  "  (or  thy)  Lord  ?  and  we  answer 
not,  because  he  rules  us  by  his  word  and  Spirit,  and  defends  and 
preserves  us  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  purchased  salvation,  as  we  an^ 
swer  to  explain  h's  government  as  king,  in  the  thirty-first  question  : 
for  the  instructor  doth  not  desire  to  know  now  how  he  governs  us 
as  Lord,  but  how  he  hath  made  us  his  property,  by  which  he  hath 
an  indisputable  right  to  us.  "We  might  answer  here,  because  the 
Fatlier  gave  us  to  him  from  eternity  ;  becanse  he  hath  owned  us  as 
his  bride  and  spouse,  and  because,  having  been  drawn  by  the  Spirit, 
we  have  surrendered  ourselves  to  him  cheerfully,  as  his  own.  But 
the  catechism  having  respect  here  to  servants*  as  entire  bondmen, 
who  have  buen  rendered  the  property  of  their  masters,  either  by  be- 
ing purchased  with  money,  or  by  conqiwst,  assigns  two  reasons  why 
believers  are  Iiis  property,  I.  "Because  he  hath  redeemed  them^, 
both  soul  and  botly,  from  all  their  sins,  not  with  gold  or  silver,  but 
with  his  precious  blood."  2".  Because  he  hath  delivered  them  from 
all  the  power  of  the  devil.**^  The  instructor  had  mentioned  this  alsa 
in  the  first  question.  But  as  we  have  explained  this  in  treating  on 
that  question,  we  shall  refer  our  reader  thither,  and  hasten  to  impress 
the  minds  of  all  with  what  we  have  now  said  of  the  Soiiship  and  gov 
ernment  of  Christi. 


APPLICATIOI^- 

We  might  insist  here  somewhat  on  the  m?.tter,  fhat  believers  are 
adopted  to  be  children  of  God  through  grace,  for  Christ's  sake,  as  is 
said  in  the  thirty-third  question  ;  but  as  we  have  treated  upon  that 
subject  distinctly  on  the  twenty-sixth  question,  we  will  wave  any  fur» 
ther  cont-idcration  of  it  at  present,  and  say,  that  the  sum  of  the 
IhjiDgs  of  which  wc  now  speak  is,  that  the  cialdren  of  God  have  thir. 


XIII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  33,  34.  283 

triumph  of  faith,  that  the  Son  of  God  is  their  Lord  and  King.  This 
is  professed  by  every  behever,  when  he  sailh,  1  beheve  in  the  Son  of 
God  our  Lord.  This  conducetli  indeed  to  the  glory  of  the  people 
of  God,  for  the  glory  of  the  lord  and  king,  is  also  the  glory  of  the  peo- 
ple ;  therefore  the  greatest  of  Israel's  kings  said,  Led.  x.  17,  «  Bles- 
sed art  thou,  O  land,  when  thy  king  is  the  son  of  Nobles."  Are  not 
they  then  a  happy  people,  who  have  the  Son  of  God  for  their  lord 
and  king?  The  church  gloried  in  him  as  such,  saying,  Isaiah  xxiii. 
22,  "  The  Lord  is  our  judge,  the  Lord  is  our  lawgiver,  the  Lerd  is 
our  king,  he  will  save  us."  Nathanael  praised  him  thus,  John  i.  49. 
"  Rabbi,  thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  thou  art  the  king  of  Israel." 
For  if  our  Lord  be  the  Son  of  God,  then  he  is  (a)  a  most  excellent 
lord  and  king  :  "  I  am  a  great  King,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  my 
name  is  dreadful  among  the  heathen,"  Mai.  i.  14.  Solomon  was  a 
great  king  ;  his  name  was  celebrated  far  and  near,  «'  but  behold  a 
greater  than  Solors^on  is  here,"  Matt.  xii.  1 1.  Our  Lord  is  the  Son 
of  God,  yea  God  himself:  "He  is  a  great  God,  yea,  a  great  King 
above  all  gods  ;  in  his  hand  are  the  deep  places  of  the  earth  ;  the 
strength  of  the  hill  is  his  also :  the  sea  is  his,  and  he  made  it  : 
and  his  hands  formed  the  dry  land,"  Psalm  xcv.  3,  4,  5.  How  did 
the  church  exult  in  her  expectation  of  him  1  Isaiah  ix.  5,  "  Unto  us 
a  child  is  born  ;  unto  us  a  son  is  given,  and  the  government  shall  be 
upon  his  shoulder  ;  and  his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Coun- 
sellor, The  mighty  God,  The  everlasting  Father,  The  Prince  of 
peace  :  He  is  fairer  than  the  children  of  men,"  Psalm  xlv.  2.  Solo- 
mon was  the  wisest  of  Israel's  kings  ;  but  Jesus  is  the  essential,  the 
3upreme  Wisdom:  <'The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  rests  upon  him,  the 
Spirit  of  wisdom  and  understanding,  the  Spirit  of  counsel  and  might, 
the  Spirit  of  knowledge,  and  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord,"  Isaiah  xi  2. 
See  how  the  spouse  describes  him.  Song,  v.  10—16.  He  hath  an 
unlimited  jurisdiction,  he  hath  all  power  in  htaven  and  in  earth  : 
*'  he  rules  from  sea,  to  sea,  and  from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the 
earth,"  Psalm  Ixxii.  8.  "  Who  in  the  heaven  can  be  compared  to  the 
Lord?  who  among  the  bons  of  the  migiity  can  be  liktned  to  him  V* 
Behold  him  in  the  brightness  of  his  glory,  which  no  mortal  can  sustain, 
Rev.  i.  10-18,  and  that  which  increastth  your  triumph,  believers, 
is  (b)  that  he  is  a  Lord  of  you,  not  as  hateful  and  despicable  slaves, 
but  as  his  special  property,  precious  above  all  other  men,  Exod.  xix. 
5,  6.  He  makes  you  also  children  of  God.  John  i.  12,  his  sister  and 
spouse.  Song  v.  1.  Yea,  he  makes  you  *'  a  chosen  generation,  a 
royal  priesthood,  an  holy  nation,  a  peculiar  people,"  1  Peter  ii.  9.  (c> 
XI  the  Son  of  God  be  your  Lord,  then  ye  arc  under  the  most  desira- 


284    THE  SONSHIP  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHRIST. 

ble  govemTnent  and  jurisdiction  ;  for  he  is  also  just :  *<  The  sceptre 
of  his  kint;dom  is  a  ric^bt  sceptre  :  he  loves  rigliteousness,  and  hates 
wickedness,"  Psalm  xlv.  6,  7.  "  He  is  of  quickunderslandiRgin  the 
fear  of  the  Lord,  and  he  judges  not  after  the  sight  of  his  eyes,  and 
reproves  not  afier  the  heunng  of  ears  :  but  with  righteousness  doth 
he  judge  the  poor ;  and  with  equity  doth  he  reprove  for  the  meek  of 
the  earth,"  Isaiah  xi.  3,  4.  Therefore  his  government  is  also  pleas- 
ant and  gen'Je.  Though  Israel  prospered  exceedingly  under  the 
reign  of  "  olomon,  he  nevertheless  imposed  such  heavy  burthens 
upon  themj  that  they  refused  to  be  governed  by  his  son  under  those 
grievous  impositions  ;  but  the  yoke  of  *  the  Son  of  God  is  easy,  and 
his  burthen  is  light,"  Matt  xi.  30.  His  commandments  are  not 
grievous ;  "  There  is  no  nation  that  hath  statutes  and  judgments  so 
rghteous,"  Deut,  iv.  8.  He  doth  not  hate  the  mean  nor  the  weaky 
but  ''  he  feeds  his  flock  like  a  shepherd  ;  he  gathers  the  Iambs  in  hia 
arms,  he  carries  them  in  his  bosom,  and  gently  laads  those  that  ard 
with  young,"  Isaiah  xl.  11.  Doth  he  chasten  them,  when  they 
transgress,  it  is  with  mt-asure,  and  "  for  their  profit,  that  they  may- 
be partakers  of  his  holiness,"  Heb-  xii.  6— 1 1.  Neither  doth  he 
empoverish  his  subjects,  as  many  kings  do,  "  wl^o  eat  the  flesh  of 
their  subjects,  flay  their  skin,  and  break  their  bones  to  enrich  them- 
selves :"  but  be  enriches  them  greatly,  so  that  the  apostle  could  say 
to  behevers,  1  Cor.  iii.  21,  22,23,  "  All  things  are  yours;  whether 
Paul,  or  ApoUos,  or  Cephas,  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  thir.gs 
present,  or  things  to  come  ;  all  are  yours ;  and  ye  are  Christ's  ;  and 
Christ  is  God's."  It  is  true,  ye  have  many  enemie?,  who  endeavour 
to  detach  you  from  his  desirable  government,  and  to  carry  you  cap- 
tive to  your  destruction  ;  but  he  sees  it,  and  it  is  evil  in  his  eyes  : 
«  For  lie  who  loucheth  you,  toucheth  the  apple  of  his  eye,"  Zech. 
ii.  8.  Think  not  that  he  is  deficient  in  power  to  revenge  the  wrongs 
tliat'are  done  to  you :  no,  he  is  mighty  to  redeem  :  "  Your  Redeem- 
er  is  strong,  the  Lord  of  hosts  is  his  name  ;  he  shall  thoroughly  plead 
your  cause,"-  Jer.  1.  3  4.  ''  The  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against 
you,  none  shall  pluck  you  out  of  his  hand."  (d)  Let  me  add  this 
also  :  what  a  high  price  did  he  piy,  before  he  became  your  Lord,  and 
ve  his  properly  1  It  cost  him  his  own  blood  and  life  ;  «  Ye  were 
not  redeemed  with  corruptible  things,  as  silver  and  gold,  frcm  your 
vain  conversation  ;  but  with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  as  a  lamb 
n»ithout  blemish  and  without  spot,"  1  Peter  i.  18,  19.  How  sad  was 
his  condition,  when  he  was  obliged  to  wrestle  under  the  burthei  of 
God's  w  rath  with  the  powers  of  hell  1  Hear  and  see  how  he  mourn- 
ed, Luke  xii.  50.    Matt.  xxvi.  36—44.    xxvii.  46.    How  much  was 


XIII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  33,34.  2^$ 

to  be  done  to  you,  before  he  broke  your  yoke,  and  burst  your  bonds ! 
It  was  necessary  that  he  should  bind  the  strong  devil,  tliat  he  might 
spoil  him  of  you,  Matt.  xii.  29.  How  did  ye  struggle  against  it; 
before  ye  would  submit  to  his  governmuit  1  he  was  therefore  obliged 
to  exert  the  exceedin.g  greatness  of  his  power,  that  he  might  cause 
such  rebels  as  ye  were  to  dwell  vvilh  him.  With  good  reason  thea 
do  we  cry  out  concerning  you  :  "  Happy  art  thou,  <  >  Israel,  who  ift 
like  unto  thee,  O  people  savtd  by  the  Lord,  the  shield  of  thy  help, 
and  who  is  the  sword  of  thy  excellency  !  and  thine  enemies  shall  be 
found  liars  unto  thee,  and  thou  shalt  treod  upon  their  high  placts,'* 
Deut.  xxxiii.  29. 

Are  ye  desirous  now  of  knowing  who  can  triumph  thus  in  t>ie  faiih, 
behold^  1.  They  are  those  who  have  disengaged  themselves  from  all 
things,  and  from  themselves,  and  have  resigntd  and  surrendered 
themsL-lves  unto  him,  in  order  to  be  his  property.  Thus  it  is  said, 
Isaiah  xliv.  5.  *•  One  shall  say,  I  am  the  Lord's,  and  another  shall 
subscribe  with  his  hand,  I  am  the  Lord's."  And  tl.at  not  only  to  be 
saved  by  him,  but  also  to  be  sanctified  by  him  ;  therefore:  they  cry 
unto  him,  ''  Unite  my  heart  to  fear  thy  name,"  Psaim  Ixxxvi  11, 
"  They  join  themselves  to  him  lo  serve  him,  to  love  his  name  and 
to  be  his  sevrants,"  Isaiah  Ivi.  6.  They  submit  themstlves  to  him 
in  a  most  hearty,  willing  and  ready  manner,  and  say,  "  O  I^ord, 
truly  I  am  thy  servant,  I  am  thy  servant,"  Psalm  cxvi.  16,  They 
esteem  all  his  commandments  to  be  holy,  just  and  good,  with  David, 
Psulm  cxix.  128.  "  I  esteem  all  thy  precepts  concerning  all  thinp;s 
to  be  right :  I  hate  every  false  way."  They  choose  them,  also  for 
their  treasure  and  possession,  and  keep  them  as  such  ;  "  Thy  testi- 
iRonies  have  I  taken  as  an  heritage  for  ever ;  for  they  are  the  rejoi- 
cing of  my  heart.  1  have  inclined  my  heart  to  perform  thy  statutes 
always,  even  unto  the  end,"  saith  David,  Psalm  cxix.  Ill,  112.  And 
as  they  are  so  intent  upon  doing  the  will  of  the  Lord,  « they  will 

^  swear  and  will  perform  it,  that  they  will  keep  his  righteous  judg- 
ments," Psalm  cxix.  106.  And  though  they  cannot  attain  to  per- 
fection, yet  knowing  that  they  can  be  more   perfect  than  they  are, 

'.  they  will  still  seek,  strive,  and  follow  after  perfection,  like  Paul, 
Philip,  iii.   12,    13,   14.     Yea,  this  is  their  glory,  their  soul  saith, 

!  "  The  Lord  is  my  poitiop,  1  have  said  that  I  would  keep  thy  words," 

.  psalm  cxix.  57. 

Others  who  cannot  triumph  herein,  that  the  Son  of  God  is  their 
Lord,  remain  in  themselves,  they  set  themselves  against  him,  and 
they  will  not  have  him  to  rule  over  them.     It  is  forsooth  too  strict  a 

-^adj  and  they  ^iU  not  be  brought  uoder  it.    Doth  he  call  them, 


286    THE  SONSHIP  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  CHRIST, 

they  cry  aloud  with  their  actions,  "  We  are  lords,  we  will  not  come 
unio  thee,"  Jer.  ii.  31.  They  think  that  it  doth  not  concern  others, 
what  they  either  say  or  do,  and  therefore  they  say,  ♦'  Our  lips  are 
our  own  ;  who  is  lord  over  us  ?  Psalm  xii.  4.  And  *'  they  do  the 
will  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  mind,"  Eph,  ii.  3.  Do  the  servants  of 
God  reprove  and  convince  them,  they  become  angry,  and  are  wroth, 
like  the  Jewish  council,  Acts  vii.  51,54.  They  are  indeed  not  all 
so  wicked,  many  will  own  the  Son  of  God  for  their  Lord ;  but  they 
will  nevertheless  not  yield  themselves  up  to  him  in  truth  and  sin^ 
cerity,  to  be  actually  and  inwardly  ruled  by  him,  but  they  content 
themselves  with  a  little  civility,  with  an  outward  devotion,  with 
knowing  and  talking  somewhat  about  him  :  but  he  saith,  IMatt. 
vii.  21.  «  Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  :  but  he  that  doth  tlie  will  of  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven. 

2.  They  who  can  triumph  thus  in  the  faith,  do  also  choose  the 
party  of  the  Lord  ;  they  join  themselves  to  the  people  of  God,  and 
cleave  to  them  ;  "  Ten  men  of  all  languages  of  the  nations  take  hold 
of  the  skirt  of  him  that  is  a  Jew,  saying.  We  will  go  with  you  ;  for  we 
have  heard  that  God  is  with  you,"  Zech.  viii.  23.  They  love  heartily 
and  really  what  their  Lord  and  his  people  love :  "  They  choose  that 
in  which  the  l^ord  delighleth,"  Isaiah  Ivi.  4.  ''  The  Lord  delighteth 
in  his  people,"  Isaiah  Ixii.  4.  But  they  who  triumph  thus  delight 
also  in  the  saints,  who  are  in  the  earth,  and  in  the  excellent,"  Psalm 
XVI.  3.  Doth  the  Lord  hate  sin,  they  also  "  hate  every  f^lse  way," 
Psalm  cxix.  128,  Doth  the  Lord  abhor  the  uhgodly,  they  can  say 
with  David,  Psalm  cxxxix.  21.  "  Do  not  I  hate  them,  O  Lord,  that 
hate  thee  ?  and  am  not  I  grieved  with  them  that  rise  up  against 
thee  ?  I  hate  them  with  perfect  hatred  ;  I  count  them  mine  ene- 
mies." 

Others  choose  the  party  of  the  world  ;  it  appears  by  their  looks, 
their  clothing,  their  thoughts,  and  discourse,  "  They  are  of  the 
world,  therefore  speak  thou  of  the  world,  and  the  world  heareth 
them,"  1  John  iv.  5.  Yea,  they  oppose  the  people  of  Jesus,  because 
they  separate  themselves  from  them  :  therefore  this  Lord  said  tovhis 
people-  "  If  ye  were  of  the  world,  the  woald  would  love  his  own  ; 
but  because  ye  are  not  of  the  world,  but  I  have  chosen  you  out  of  the 
world,  therefore  the  world  hateth  you,'*  John  xv.  19. 

To  whom  do  ye  now  belong  ?  to  us,  or  to  our  foes  ?  have  y«  never 
yet  surrendered  yourselves  to  him  to  serve  him,  nor  chosen  his  party> 
ye  cannot  then  triumph  thus  in  the  faith  :  but  it  is  your  reproach, 
lh«rt  the  ruler  of  this  world  is  your  lord  and  king.     And  what  'a 


Xill.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  Si,  34.  237 

Wretchcct,  despicable,  cursed  and  cruel  lord  do  ye  then  serve  ?  and 
what  a  wretched  reward  will  he  bestow  on  you  for  your  faithful  ser* 
vice  ?  (for  ye  serve  him  with  great  faithfulness)  Your  reward  will  be 
"  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,"  Matt.  xxy» 
41.  Think  not  that  ye  shall  escape  the  hands  of  our  great  Lord, 
he  will  command  you  to  be  broiight  to  him,  and  to  be  slain  before  hii 
face,  Luke  xix.  27.  "  Ye  shall  perish  froiti  the  way,  when  his  wrath 
is  kindled  but  a  httle,"  Psdlm  ii.  12.  O  that  ye  might  recover  out 
of  the  snare  of  the  devil,  in  whicb  ye  are  taken  captive  at  his  will  j 
flee,  I  beseech  you,  from  him  ^.nd  from  the  wrath  to  come,  and  join 
yourselves  to  the  Lord,  and  to  his  people,  that  ye  may  prevent 
your  destruction* 

But  with  respect  to  you,  who  have  jvoined  yourselves  to  the  Lord, 
and  chosen  his  party,  conduct  yourselves  worthily  of  your  Lord* 
And  therefore. 

1.  Believe,  and  be  assured,  that  the  Son  of  God  is  also  your  Lord. 
Ye  certainly  confess  this  >n  your  creed  ;  he  hath  bought  you  with  his 
blood,  delivered  you  from  all  the  power  Of  the  devij,  and  rendered 
you  his  property.  Hath  he  not  drawn  your  souls,  so  that  ye  have 
run  after  him  ?  have  ye  not  dedicated  yourselves  sincerely  and 
heartily  to  him  and  to  his  service,  and  do  ye  not  still  do  this  ?  Are 
not  your  sins  your  greatest  grief,  and  do  ye  not  withstand  them  f  can 
ye  deny  this  ?  do  ye  not  know  then  that  ye  have  believed  in  him  ? 
Why  are  ye  then  so  mistrustful,  and  say,  *'  The  Lord  hath  utterly 
separated  me  from  his  people,  and  I  am  a  dry  tree  r*'  Isaiah  Ivi,  3. 
As  long  as  your  souls  indulge  such  imaginations,  they  will  never 
exert  a  single  act  towards  him,  which  will  be  worthy  of  him  ;  there- 
fore encourage  yourselves  in  this,  and  say  with  David,  Psalm  xlii. 
11.  "  Why  art  thou  cast  down,  O  my  soul,  snd  why  art  thou  dis- 
quieted within  me  ?  hope  thou  in  God ;  for  I  shall  yet  praise  him, 
who  is  the  health  of  my  countenance,  and  my  God." 

2.  Contemplate  much  the  glory  of  the  Son  of  God,  as  your  Lord* 
Are  ye  not  permitted  with  Stephen  to  see  the  heavens  opened,  and 
the  Son  of  man  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God,  behold  him  then 
with  an  enlightened  eye  of  faith,  according  to  his  word,  and  see  hoW 
the  Father  anointed  him  from  eternity  King  of  Zion,  how  he  sent 
him  into  the  world,  so  that  every  one  beheld  his  glory j  as  the  glory 
of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,  how  he  spoiled  on  the  crOss  prin- 
cipalities and  powers,  and  made  a  shovi^  of  them  openly,  and  trium- 
phed over  them  ;  how  his  Father  hath  therefore  exalted  him,  and 
given  him  a  name  above  every  name,  that  in  his  name  every  knee 
should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  on  earth,  and  things 


288    THE  SONSHIP  AND  GOVERNMEN  T  OF  CHRIST. 

under  the  earth ;  and  that  every  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father  ;  how  by  his  gospel 
he  subdues  the  world  to  himself,  causes  the  rebellious  to  dwell  with 
him,  governs  the  hearts  of  all,  how  the  angels  worship  him,  the  souls 
of  the  blessed  glorify  him,  and  every  believer  looks  to  him,  to  re- 
ceive of  his  fullness,  and  grace  for  grace.  Ye  are  exhorttfd  to  this, 
Song  iii.  1  I.  "  Go  forth,  O  ye  daughters  of  Zion,  and  behold  king 
Solomon  with  the  crown  wherewith  his  mother  crowned  him  in  the 
day  of  his  espousals,  and  in  the  day  of  the  gladness  of  his  heart.'* 
Ye  endeavour  to  be  conformed  to  him  in  a  glorious  hohness,  but 
this  vie  w  of  hun  transforms  the  soul :  for  "  we  all  with  open  face, 
beholdiniir  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the 
same  ima-e,  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  spirit  of  the  Lord," 
2  Cor.  iii.   18. 

3.  Acknowledge  the  Son  of  God,  as  your  Lord,  this  ye   must  do 
(a)  by  extolling  him  as  your  Lord,  praising  him,  and  crying  to  him 
^vith  elevated  minds,  in  order  to  glo?ify  him,  like  Nathanael,  *' Rabbi, 
thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  thou  art  t)ie  king  of  Israel,"  John  i.  4.    Hear 
how   his  people  shout  to  him,  (unite  witi  them  in  heart  and  voice) 
Psalm  xlvii.    7 — 10,   "  Sing  praises  to  God,  sing  praises  ;  sing  prai- 
ses unto  our  King,   sing  praises      For  God  is   the  King  of  all   the 
earth,  sing  ye  praises  with  understanding.     God  reigneth  over  the 
heathen  :  God   sitteth  upon  the  throne  of  his  holiness.     The  princes 
of  the  people  are  gathered  together  to  the  people  of  the  God  of  Abra- 
ham ;  for  the  shields  of  the  earth  belong  unto  God  j  he  is   greatly 
exalted."  (b)     It  behooves  you  to  acknowledge  him  as   your  Lord 
also  by  submitting  yourselves  wholly  to  him,  and  in  all  things,  bow- 
ing to  him,  with  a  total  denial  of  yourselves,  not  seeking  yourselves, 
nor  following  your  inclination,  but  him  only ;  as  well  in  adversity  as 
in  prosperity,  as  well  in  darkness  as  in  light,  he  is  your  Lord,  ye  are 
his  servants,  and  his  property  :  he  may  do  with  his  own,  as  seemeth- 
good  to  him  :  "  Because  he  is  your  Lord,  therefore  worship  ye  him," 
Psalm  xlv,  11.  (c)     Acknowledge    him  as  your   Lord  byldevoting 
yourselves  wholly  to  his  service  ;  he  hath  rendered  you  his  property 
m  s6i.ll  and  body  :  it  is  therefore  your  duty  to  dedicate   yourselves 
with  soul  and  body  to  him,  and  to  employ  them  in  his  service :  "  He 
gave  himself  for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and 
purify  unto  himself,  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works  ,"  Titus 
ii.  U.     «  I  beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God, 
that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy  and  acceptable  un- 
to Cod,  which  is  your  reasonable  service"  Rom.   xii.   1.   (d)     Ye 
must  also  acknowledge  him  as  your  Lord  by  improving  him  as  such. 


Xltl.  LORD'S  DAYjQ.  33,  34.  :289 

and  putting  your  sinful  hearts  into  his  hand,  with  every  foe  that  he 
mav  destroy  them,  and  subject  them  to  himself:  "  As  for  those  mine 
enemies,"  saith  he,  '*  who  would  not  that  I  should  reign  over  ihem, ' 
bring  them  hither,  anci  slay  them  b  fore  my  face,"  Luke  xix.  27. 
For  this  David  prayed,  Psalm  xix.  IS,  I4.(c;  Lis  your  duty  to  ac- 
knowledge him  as  your  Lord  by  intrusting  yonr  own,  and  his  church's 
cause  to  him,  even  when  it  appears  exceedingly  gloomy,  consider- 
ing th?.t  he  will  orde-  mat  crs  arij^ht  ^'  Why  dost  thou  cry  aloun  ? 
is  there  no  king  in  thee  ?  is  thy  counsellor  perished  ?  for  pangs  have 
taken  thee  as  a  woman  in  travail,"  Micha  iv.  9. 

4.  Commend  him  also  to  others  that  they  may  love  him,  and  may 
also  surrender  themselves  t.)  him,  in  order  to  serve  him,  like  the 
spouse,  Song  v.  10—16,  which  had  siich  art  effect,  that  the  daughters 
of  Jerusalem  would  also  seek  him.  Song  vi.  I,  for  "  in  the  multitude 
of  people  is  the  king's  honour,"  saith  Solomon,  Prov.  xiv.  28.  Ought 
not  every  subject  of  the  King  then,  whose  glory  is  the  glory  of  his 
people,  endeavour  to  procure  people  for  him,  and  encouiage  every 
one  to  join  himself  to  this  King  ?  We  ought  not  to  be  content,  that 
we  ourselves  have  been  favoured  and  honoured  by  him,  but  we  ought 
to  bring  others  also  to  him,  as  Andrew  brought  his  brother  Peter, 
and  PhiHp  brought  Nathanael  to  Jesus,  who  also  acknowledged  him 
to  be  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  King  of  Israel,  John  i.  40 — 49.  We 
ought  all  of  us  to  "  bring  forth  twins,  and  there  ought  not  to  be  one 
barren  among  us,"  as  it  is  said  concerning  the  spiritual  sheep, 
Song  Ti.  6. 

5.  Trnimph  and  rejoice  also  in  him,  since  he,  who  is  the  Son  of 
God,  is  also  your  king.  Therefore  the  Lord  said,  Jer.  ix.  23,  24* 
"  Let  not  the  wise  man  glory  in  his  wisdom,  neither  let  the  mighty 
man  g'ory  in  his  might,  let  not  the  rich  man  glory  in  his  riches; 
but  let  him  that  glorieth,  glory  in  this  that  he  understundeth  and 
knoweth  me,  that  I  am  the  Lord."  To  this  ye  are  exhorted,  Psalm 
cxhx.  2.  "  Let  Israel  rejoice  in  him  that  made  him  ;  let  the  chil- 
dren of  Zion  be  joyful  in  their  King."  Therefore  he  sends  his  ser- 
vants to  you,  "who  say  to  Zion,  Thy  God  rtigfreth,"  Isaiah  iii.  7.  - 
It  is  true,  his  glory^  and  your  happmess  and  triumphing  in  and 
through  him  are  not  perceived  so  much  at  present ;  but  when  the 
curtains  of  darkness,  of  sin,  adversity  and  mortality  shall  be  drawn,, 
then  will  he  appear  in  all  his  brightness  to  your  joy  :  yea,  *' thea 
will  the  King  say  to  them  on  his  right  hand,  Come  ye  blessed  of  my 
Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world."  Amen. 

R  V 


(  290  ) 


THE  INCARNATION 


OF 


THE   SON  OF  GOD 


XIV.  LORD'S  DAY. 


Philip,  ii.  6,  7.  Who  being  in  the -form  of  God,  thought  it  not  rob- 
bery to  be  equal  with  God :  but  made  himself  of  no  reputation, 
and  took  .  pon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the 
likeness  of  men. 

Q,  35.  W/iat  28  the  meaning  of  these  words j  "  I£e  was  conceived  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  born  of  the  virgin  Mary  ? 

A.  That  God's  eternal  Son,  who  is  and  continueth  true  and  eter- 
nal God,  took  upon  him  the  very  nature  of  man,  of  the  flesh  and 
blood  of  the  virgin  Mary,  by  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  that 
he  might  also  be  tlie  true  seed  of  David,  like  unto  his  brethren  in  all 
things,  sin  excepted. 

Q.  36.  What  firojit  dost  thou  then  receive  by  Christ's  holy  concefi- 
tion  and  nativity  ? 

A.  That  he  is  the  Mediator  ;  and  with  his  innocence  and  perfect 
holiness,  covers  in  the  sight  of  God  my  sins,  wherein  I  was  conceived 
and  brought  forth. 


A, 


.^lONG  the  several  great  promises  of  the  Lord  God  to  his 
ancient  people  concerning  the  Messiah,  who  was  to  come,  this  was 


XIV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  35,  36.  291 

particularly  emphatical,  that  «  a  Redeemer  should  come  unto  Zion," 
Isaiah  lix.  20.  The  Lord  had  oj^ered  in  the  civil  law,  which  he 
gave  to  Israel,  that  the  nearest  kinsman  should  be  the  redeemer  of 
his  brother,  who  was  therefore  obliged,  besides  other  duties,  to  re- 
deem the  possession  of  his  brother,  when  it  was  sold,  and  also  his 
person  from  slavery,  and  to  avenge  his  blood,  which  was  shed.  The 
Messiah  should  also  be  such  a  Redeemer ;  not  with  respect  to  a 
bodily  redemption,  this  was  too  it^noble  for  him ;  the  redemption 
which  he  obtains  is  «  an  eternal  redemption,"  Heb  ix.  12,  Those 
whom  he  should  redeem  had  lost  their  eternal  inheritance,  they  were 
slaves  to  thse  devil  and  to  bin,  and  therefore  slain  with  respect  to  their 
so*  Is.  If  he  should  then  redeem  them,  he  behoo\ed  to  be  greater 
than  those  redeemers,  yea,  even  their  GikI  and  Lord  :  therefore  the 
Father  promiseth  '-  that  he  would  redeem  his  people  by  the  Lord 
their  God."  irloseai.  7.  He  ought  indeed  to  possess  an  infirtite  power, 
if  he  should  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,  bind  him.  and  spoil  his 
goods,  thus  taking  vengeance  of  him  :  but  tins  alone  was  not  enough, 
he  brhooved  also  to  pay  the  price  of  redemption,  which  was  more 
precious  than  perishable  things,  silver,  or  gold,  i'  could  be  effected 
only  by  the  precious  blood  of  a  Lamb  without  blemish,  and  without 
spot :  and  it  was  therefore  necessary,  that  he  should  also  be  man, 
and  indeed  man  of  man,  more  especially  since  he  was  obliged  to  be 
the  nearest  kinsman  and  brother,  if  he  should  be  a  Redeemer. 
Therefore  the  Lord,  when  he  promiseth  that  the  Redeemer  should 
come  to  Zion,  intimates  that  he  would  send  him  in  the  flesh,  and 
that  he  should  become  man,  and  that  he  should  therefore  redeem 
Zion,  as  the  ancient  redeemers  redeemed  their  brethren  ;  which  the 
Lord  also  fulfilled,  when  he  appointed  his  Son  to  become  man. 
The  apostle  having  respect  to  this  man-  ner  of  redeeming,  said 
therefore  concerning  him,  Heb.  ii.  11)  14,  15.  "For  both  he  that 
sanctifieth,  and  they  who  are  sanctified  are  all  of  one :  for  which 
cause  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call  them  brethren.  For  as  much 
then  as  the  children  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also 
himself  likewise  took  part  of  the  same  :  that  he  through  death 
might  destroy  him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil; 
and  deliver  them,  who  through  fear  of  death,  are  all  their  lifetime 
subject  to  bondage."  Having  shown  how  necessary  it  was  for  the 
Mediator  and  Redeemer  to  be  God  and  man  in  one  person,  in  the 
fifteenth,  sixteenth,  and  sevcnteentk  questions,  the  instructor  explain- 
ing the  doctrine  of  redemption,  sho  vs  therefore  that  the  Redeemer 
Jesus  Christ,  is  not  only  the  Son  of  God,  and  thus  very  God,  in  the 
thirteenth  Lord's  day,  but  also  that  he  is  man,  made  like  his  breth= 
ren  in  all  things,  sin  excepted,  ia  this  fourteenth  Lord's  day. 


292       TH^  INCARNATION  OF  THE  SON  OF  GOB. 

There  are  two  particulars  here,  that  require  our  explanation, 

I.  The  nature  of  Christ's  incarnation,  Question  35. 

II.  The  advantage  which  results  from  it,  Question  36. 

I.  We  have  an  explanation  of  the  nature  of  Christ's  incarnation  in, 
the  thirty-fifih  question  :  with  respect  to  v/hich  we  learn,  (a)  who 
became  incarnate,  or  man,  (b)  the  nature  of  his  manhood,  (c)  of 
wliom  he  received  his  manhood,  (d)  by  whose  operation,  (e)  in  what 
manner,  and  (f )  to  \yhat  end  he  became  incarnate,  or  man. 

A.  It  is  inquired  in  the  first  place  who  became  incarnate  or  man. 
It  is  said  m  general,  that  "  God  was  manifested  in  the  flesh,"  1  Tim. 
iii.  16,  It  was  not  the  essence  of  God  ;  for  he  who  became  man  is 
Mediator  between  God  and  man,  which  could  not  be,  if  the  whole 
essence  became  man :  but  it  was  one  of  the  divine  Persons,  who. 
became  man  :  "  he  who  was  in  the  form  of  God,  and  was  equal  to 
God,  toolvupon  himself  the  form  of  a  servant,"  Phil,  ii  6,  7.  But 
it  was  neither  the  Father,  nor  the  Holy  Giiost,  who  became  man, 
but  the  Son  only  ;  for  "  God  sent  forth  his  Son,  made  of  a  woman," 
Gal.  iv.  4.  And  so  the  instructor  saith  that  the  eternal  Son  of  God, 
•who  is  and  continuetb  true  and  eternal  God,  became  man.  He  is 
indeed  God,  co-esscntial  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  we 
have  proved  on  the  foregoing-  Lord's  day  ;  it  doth  not  however  follow, 
therefore,  that  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  are  co-essential 
with  the  Son,  became  man,  because  the  Godhead  of  the  Son,  which 
is  also  the  Godhead  of  the  Feather  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  did  not 
become  man,  but  the  Person  of  the  Son.  F^or  although  the  Father 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  prepared  a  body  for  him,  according  to  Heb.  x. 
5.  Luke  i.  35,  nevertheless  the  Son  alone  took  upon  himself  the 
nature  of  man,  and  united  it  to  himself. 

Although   It  proceeded  only  from  the  free  good  pleasure  of  God, 
that  the  Son  was  made  man,  we  may  however  learn  from  the  con- 
sequences how  well  this  became  God,  and  how  proper  it  was  ;  for,  (a) 
as  he  was  the  Son  of  God,  he  could  be  sent  by  the  Father,  and  also 
himself  send  the  Holy  Spirit,  Gal.  iv.  4,   5,   6.   (b)   As  he  was  the 
personal  Word  of  God,  God  could  speak  by  him  to  us,  and  also  re- 
veal his  secrets  to  us  by  him,  John  i.  1 .  iii.  34.  Heb.  i.  1 .  (c)  As  man 
•was  created  by  him,  therefore   man  could   also  be  new-created  by 
him,  Eph.  ii.  10.  (d)  As  he  is  the  Son  of  God  by  nature,  he  can  also 
make  us  the  sons  of  God  by  grace.  Gal.  iv.  4,  5.  (e)  He  who  is  the 
image  of  the  invisible  God,  can  restore  us  after  the  image  of  God 
.  Col.  iv.   19.  (f )  Thus   also  the  love  of  God  appears  in  the  highest 
degree,  that  he  sends  his  Son  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  John 
iii.  16. 


XIV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  35,  36.  39ii 

B.The  second  particular  that  requires  our  consideration  with  res- 
pect to  the  incarnation  of  Christ  is  the  nature  of  his  manhood.  Of 
this,  the  instructor  saith,  that  he  took  on  him  the  very  nature  of 
man.  This  was  opposed  by  many  erroneous  spirits  in  the  early 
ages  of  Christianity.  The  Ibllowers  of  Mareion,  Manes  and  Cerdo» 
asserted  that  Christ  was  man  only  in  appearance.  The  Arians  said 
indeed  that  he  had  a  real  body,  but  they  imagined  that  it  was  a  body 
without  a*'soui,  and  that  instead  of  a  human  soul,  an  excellent  spirit 
was  created  for  him,  before  the  creation  of  the  world.  And  the 
Apollinarists  held  that  his  Godhead  served  him  instead  of  a  soul- 
But  the  word  of  God  teacheth  u3  that  he  hath  a  real  and  perfect 
human  nature.     Fcr, 

Ir  He  is  suck  a  man  as  we  are  j  "  in  all  things  IIUq  his  brethren," 
Heb.  ii.  17.  Yea,  he  is  opposed  to  a  mere  appearance,  as  he  him- 
self proved  to  his  apostles,  when  "they  supposed  they  had  seen  a 
spirit,"  Luke  xxiv.  57 — 43. 

2.  He  hath  the  constituent  parts  of  a  man,  to  wit,  a  human  body, 
and  a  human  soul  :  his  body  was  born,  it  grew,  was  seen  and  hand- 
led by  men  ;  we  cannot  doubt  that  he  had  a  soul ;  for  "■  he  came  to 
give  his  soul  a  ransom  for  many, "Mate.  xx.  28. 

3.  All  that  can  be  said  of  a  man  as  man,  is  found  in  him  ;  for  be- 
sides his  birth,  growth,  conversation  with  men,  and  other  particulare 
of  this  kind,  he  v/as  also,  like  men,  hungry  and  thirsty,  he  wept> 
complained,  was  weary,  and  rested.  He  had  a  human  understand- 
ini;,  will,  and  affections  ;  he  loved,  v/as  angry,  rejoiced  and  was  sorry* 
as  the  evangelical  historians  inform  us. 

4.  He  was  a  man  of  man.  of  the  same  human  race  with  other 
men  :  "  l^or  he  that  sanctifieth,  and  they  who  are  sanctified,  are  all 
of  one  ;  as  the  children  are  partakers  of  flesh  and  blood,  he  also 
took  part  of  the  same,"  Heb.  ii.  11,  14.  Therefore  he  is  also  cal- 
led "the  seed  of  the  woman,"  Gen.  iii.  15,  "the  seed  of  Abraham,'^ 
Gen.  xxii.  18,  compared  with  Gal,  iii.  16.  He  is  said  to  "  have  been 
of  the  seed  of  David  according  to  the  flesh,"  Rom.  i.  3,  "the  fruit  of 
the  loins  of  David,"  Acts  ii.  30,  "  a  son  of  man,"  Mat.  xvi.  13,  "a 
son  of  Mary,"  Matt.  i.  18.  "He  was  conceived  in  her,"  Matt.  i.  20c 
"  He  is  the  fruit  of  her  body,"  Luke  i.  4.2,  Was  made  of  her," 
Gal.  iv.  4,  and  "  was  born  of  her,"  Matt.  i.  16, 

What  can  be  objected  against  this,  but  what  is  exceedingly  tri- 
fling, as  that  "  he  was  sent  in  the  hkeness  of  sinful  flesh,"  Rom. 
viii.  3,  and  that  "  he  was  made  like  men,"  Philip,  ii.  7.  But  it  is 
easy  to  comprehend,  that  this  doth  not  disprove,  but  rather  evince 
that  he  was  a  real  man,  as  he  \yas  in  ail  things  made  like  us,   Heb= 


294.        THE  INCARNATION  OF  THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

ii.  ir,  and  if  it  assert  any  unlikeness  to  us,  it  is  only  with  respect  to 
sill,  which  he  had  not,  although  he  was  considered  as  a  sinner,  and 
treated  as  such,  as  his  Father  also  sent  him,  that  he  might  be  a  sacri- 
fice for  sin  ;  for  "  him  who  knew  no  sin  he  made  lo  be  sin  for  us," 
2  Cor.  V.  2 1 . 

C.  The  third  particular  that  must  be  considered  with  respect  (o 
t^is  incarnation  is  of  wliom  he  received  his  manhood.  The  catechism 
saith,  "of  the  flesh  and  blood  of  the  virgin  Mary."  The  Valentin- 
ians  of  old  said,  as  the  Menonites  do  still,  that  the  human  nature  of 
Christ  was  not  born  of  the  flesh  and  blood  of  Mary,  but  through 
her,  and  that  he  brought  it  with  him  from  heaven  of  the  seed  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Word,  or  from  elsewhere,  we  do  not  know  whence, 
and  that  he  only  passed  through  Mary,  as  water  through  a  conduit, 
and  as  the  sun  shines  through  glass.  The  ^iocinians  assert  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  suppUed  tlie  place  of  a  natural  Father,  and  that  he  crea- 
ted and  pro  Uiced  a  new  substance  in  Mary  :  but  then  (1)  Christ  was 
not  in  all  things  like  us,  nor  man  of  man,  contrary  to  what  we  have 
proved  before.  (2)  Then  also  the  genealogy  of  Ciirist  could  not  be 
refet-red  to  Mary,  Matt.  i.  and  Luke  3.  (3)  Neither  was  he  then, 
according  to  his  human  nature,  without  father,  contrary  to  Heb.  vii. 
3.  (4)  ivloreover,  the  guilt  of  man  might  not  be  punished  in  any 
other  besides  the  human  nature,  as  we  have  proved  on  the  sixteenth 
question. 

It  is  indeed  said,  that  "  he  came  down  from  heaven,"  John  vi. 
38,  and  that  "  he  is  the  Lord  from  heaven,"  1  Cor  xv.  47,  but  this 
doth  not  mean  that  he  brought  his  manhood  from  heaven,  but  (a) 
that  his  Godhead  manifested  itself,  present  in  his  manhood  in  a  par- 
ticular manner,  when  he  assumed  bis  manhood  :  "  For  the  Word 
was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  (and  we  beheld  his  glory,  the 
glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father)  John  i.  14,  as  it  is  said 
that  the  Lord  God  came  down  from  heaven,  when  he  manifested 
himself  present  any  where  in  a  glorious  manner,  Exod.  xix.  20. 
Neh.  xix.  13.  Or  we  may  understand  by  it  (b)  the  original  and 
institution  of  his  office,  which  was  not  of  men,  but  from  heaven,  as 
it  is  said  of  the  baptism  of  John,  that  "  it  was  from  heaven,"  Matt. 
xxi.  2j. 

lie  received  his  manhood  of  Mary  without  any  previous  inter- 
vn  se  of  her  with  a  man,  for  she  was  a  virgin,  and  conceived,  bore 
and  bi'ought  forth  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  as  a  virgin  without  knowing 
man.  See  Matt.  i.  18.  This  was  not  less  necessary  than  it  was 
true,  not  only  because  it  was  foretold,  Isaiah  vii.  15,  *'  Behold  a  vir- 
gin shall  conceive,  and  bring  forth  a  Son,  and  c:dl  his  name  Imman-^ 


,      XIV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  35,  36.  295 

uel,"  to  which  the  an^el  also  appealed,  and  referred  Joseph,  the  be- 
trothed hubbaiid  of  Mary,  when  he  suspected  her,  Malt.  i.  23.  But 
it  was  also  necesrary  that  he  should  recei/e  his  manhood  of  a  virgin, 
because  he  sliouid  be  born  holy,  and  without  original  sin  :  Christ 
should  be  "that  holy  thing,  which  should  be  born  of  her,"  Luke  i. 
35.  The  reason  of  winch  was  not  that  the  virgin  had  not  any  origin- 
al sin,  as  the  Papists  without  any  reason  pretend  ;  but  the  reason  of 
Christ's  holy  birtti  of  the  virgin  Was,  that  he  was  thus  born  out  of 
the  broken  covenant  of  works,  which  transmits  original  sin  by  the 
intercourse  of  the  man  and  woman  to  the  posterity  of  Adam.  This 
is  not  so  difficult  to  understand,  if  we  consider  that  Adam  and  Eve 
received  the  marriage  law,  and  the  blessing,  that  they  should  "  be 
fruitful  and  multiply,"  while  they  were  in  the  covenant  of  works, 
Gen  i.  28,  and  hence  all  men  should  be  born  in  that  covenant  of 
works,  and  thus  all  men  since  the  fall  are  born  nnder  the  breach  of 
that  covenant  in  iniquity,  and  conceived  in  sin«  Therefore  because 
the  Saviour  was  born  of  a  virgin,-  who  had  not  any  fellowship  with  a 
man,  it  is  evident  that  he  was  born  out  of  the  covenant  of  works, 
under  which  all  other  men  are  born  by  virtue  of  the  law  of  mar- 
riage. And  thus  Christ  cannot  be  reckoned  under  Adam  in  the  cov- 
enant of  works  ;  wherefore  he  is  also  opposed  to  Adam  in  this  re- 
spect, I  Cor.  XV.  45,  47. 

D.  But  how  could  this  be  ?  Mary  also  proposed  this  difficulty, 
when  Gabriel  brouglit  her  the  tidings,  that  she  should  conceive, 
L>uke  4.  34,  25,  "  And  Mary  said  to  the  angel,  how  shall  this  be, 
seeing  I  know  not  a  man  ?  and  the  angel  answered,  and  said  unto 
her,  the  floly  Ghost  siiall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the 
Highest  shall  overshadow  thee."  The  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in 
this  matter  was,  ( 1 )  that  he  formed  and  disposed,  in  an  extraordi- 
nary and  superordinary  manner,  the  human  nature  of  Christ,  of  the 
seed  of  Mary,  and  thus  he  was  conceived  in  Mary,  born  and  brought 
forth  by  her  without  miscarriage.  (2)  The  Holy  Ghost  also  sancti- 
fied him,  by  forming  him  in  the  image  of  God,  that  he  who  should 
be  born  ot  Mary  might  be  holy,  and  also  by  separating  and  disposing 
him  in  his  Father's  name  for  a  suitable  sacrifice  :  so  Paul  considers 
this  matter,  Heb  x.  5.  (3)  Many  also  affirm  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
united  the  human  nature  from  the  time  of  its  conception,  to  the  di- 
vine nature :  but  we  rather  consider  this  as  a  personal  act  of  the 
Son,  who  united  his  human  nature  to  himself,  as  we  will  see  hereaf- 
ter, more  particularly. 

E.  In  what  manner  did  the  Son  of  God  become  man  ?  the  cate- 
chism saith  that  « th»  eternal  Son  of  God,  who  is,  and   continueth 


5?96        THE  INCARNATION  OF  THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

true  and  eternal  God,  took  upon  himself  the  very  nature  of  man." 
He  did  not  become  a  man  as  other  men  do,  who  had  no  manner  of 
existence  before :  but  he  who  was  before  true  and  eternal  God,  and 
coniinueth  such,  became  also  man.  Not  by  a  changing  of  his  God- 
head into  the  manhood,  as  the  Menonitcs  imagine  ;  for  his  Godhead 
5s  unchaiM^eable.  James  i.  17.  "  The  Word  indeed  .became  flesh," 
according  to  John  i.  14,  but  we  do  not  read  that  it  was  changed  into 
flcsh  :  the  ^vord  "  became  "  doth  not  always  intimate  a  change  ; 
lor  otnerwise  the  body  of  Adam,  which  was  formed  oi  the  dust  of 
the  earth,  and  "  became  a  living  soul,"  Gen.  ii.  7y  was  changed  into 
a  living  soul;  and  "Christ,  who  became  a  curse,"  Gal.  iii.  13^ 
would  have  been  changed  into  a  curse  ;  but  the  Son  of  God  became 
man  by  taking  upon  himself  the  nature  of  man,  and  uniting  it  in  the 
strictt;st  mar^.ner  to  his  divine  nature. 

We  must  consider  this  union  somewhat  more  particularly,  and 
must  take  special  care,  that  we  do  not  misunderstand  this  matter, 
as  the  smallest  misconception  of  it  is  exceedingly  mischievous  and 
pernicious.  We  must  therefore  know  that  this  union  of  the  two 
natures  in  ChHst  is  not  an  essential  union,  like  that  of  the  three  Per- 
sons in  the  Go  ihead  ;  for  then  there  would  be  but  one  essence  or 
nature,  and  two  Persons  in  Chiist,  whereas  we  find  two  natures  in 
him,  and  only  one  Person,  since  there  is  but  "one  Mediator,  as 
there  is  but  one  God,"  1  Tim.  ii.  5.  Moreover,  the  union  of  the 
two  natures  in  Christ  is  hot  a  physical  union,  like  that  of  the  soul  and 
body,  which  beinu:  physically  united  to  each  other,  make  one  person ; 
for  he  was  a  person  before  he  became  man.  Neither  is  this  union,  a 
merely  relative  union,  consisting  in  the  love  of  the  Godhead  to  the 
human  nature,  disposing  the  Godhead  to  assist  the  human  nature, 
'-md  show  kindness  to  it,  as  the  husband  is  united  to  the  wife,  and 
Christ  to  the  church  ;  for  then  there  would  be  two  persons,  as  well 
AS  two  natures  in  Christ,  and  we  should  have  twb  Mediators,  contrary 
to  1  Tim.  ii.^* 

This  was  the  opinion  of  Nestorius,  bishop  of  Constantinople  ; 
but  it  -vVaS  condemned  by  the  great  council  of  Ephesiis,  in  the  year 
431.  In  opposition  to  his  opinion  it  was  c^etermined,  that  the  union 
of  the  two  natures  was  czr//ar:'/'tf5,  "  indivisible,"  and  ac/^om/o.?,  "insep- 
arable," and  thus  that  there  were  not  two  divisible  and  separable  per- 
sons in  the  Mediator.  Eutyches.  Abbot  of  Constantinople,  fell,  from 
an  excess  of  opposition  to  Nestorius,  to  another  extreme,  for  he 
taught  that  the  two  natures  of  Christ,  and  their  properties  were  mix- 
ed, so  that  Christ,  who  had  two  natures  before  they  were  united, 
^as,  after  they  were  united,  no  longer  such  a  man  as  we  are.     He 


XIV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  35,  26.  529T 

v/as  condemned  for  this  opinion  in  the  general  council  of  Chalcedon, 
in  the  year  451,  and  in  order  to  illustrate  the  nature  of  this  union, 
it  was  said,  it  was  atrefitos^  "  unchangeable,"  and  a-mnchutos^  «  unmix- 
ed." And  they  signified  thus,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  in  his  incarna- 
tion continued  what  he  was,  namely  God,  and  became  what  he  was 
not,  namely  man ;  for  otherwise  his  Godhead  would  have  been  chan- 
ged into  the  manhood,  and  the  manhood  into  the  Godhead. 

We  say  then  with  the  catholic  church,  that  this  union  was  a  per- 
sonal and  hypostatical  union,  that  is,  the  divine  Person  took  upon 
himself  the  human  nature,  and  continued  one  Person  :  we  have 
shown  on  the  eighth  Lord's  day  that  a  person  is  an  intelligent  sub- 
stance, by  which  he  is  individually  what  he  is,  without  constituting 
a  part  of  another.  We  must  now  know  that  the  human  nature  is 
not  an  individual  person,  and  that  it  doth  not  svbsist  individually, 
but  that  it  subsists  in,  and  by  the  personality  of  the  Son  of  God  : 
not  that  the  personality  of  the  ^on  of  God  is  communicated  to  his 
manhood,  as  the  Lutherans  suppose ;  for  the  personality  and  self- 
mibsistence  a;  e  incommunicable  :  but  that  the  divine  nature,  consti- 
tuting the  human  nature  in  its  person,  causeth  it  to  subsist ;  for 
otherwise  the  several  phrases  used  with  respect  to  this  matter  will  be 
unintelligible,  as  John  i.  14.  *' The  Word  was  made  flesh."  Rom. 
viii.  3.  "  God  sent  his  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,"  Gal.  iv.- 
4.  ''Made  of  a  woman,'*  1  Tim.  iii.  16.  *^  God  was  manifest  in 
the  flesh,  Philip  ii.  6,  7.  **  Who  being  in  the  form  of  God  thought 
it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God  :  but  made  himself  of  no  reputa- 
tion, and  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant." 

This  personal  union  is  illustrated  also  by  an  observation  of  the 
consequences  of  it,  which  are  three  : 

\,  That  from  this  union  follows  a  communion  of  the  properties  of 
both  natures,  which  the  person  hath  by  virtue  of  the  union  of  the 
two  natures.  This  doth  not  imply,  that  the  divine  attributes  of  om- 
nipotence, omniscience,  omnipresence,  vivification  and  adorableness, 
are  communicated  to  the  manfeood,  as  the  Lutherans  imagine  ;  for 
the  manhood  of  Christ  is  not  capable  of  divine  attributes,  and  this 
would  make  the  manhood  a  God.  In  this  manner  the  divine  attri- 
butes are  incommunicable;  if  this  followed  from  the  personal  union, 
not  a  few  only  of  the  divine  attributes  would  be  communicated  to 
the  manhood,  but  all  of  them,  because  the  manhood  is  united  to  the 
-^vhole  Person  of  the  Son  of  God  ;  but  this  is  to  be  understood  in 
such  a  manner,  that  the  Person  of  the  Mediator  doth  perfectly  pos« 
sess  the  properties  of  the  divine  and  human  natures.  This  hath 
occasioned  a  vanstv  of  phrases,  to  wit,  that  which   is  proper  to 


^98        THE  INCARNATION  Ot  THE  SON  OF  GOt). 

him  with  respect  to  his  Person,  is  ascribed  to  hjm  with  respect  to 
the  one  or  the  other  of  his  natures,  and  what  is  i  roper  to  him  with 
respect  to  ihe  one  nature,  is  ascribed  to  him  with  respect  to  the 
other,  or  to  his  Person.  We  may  say*  for  instance  of  his  Person, 
that  Christ  is  eternal,  was  born  m  time,  is  our  rij^hteousness  :  with 
respect  to  liis  divine  nature,  we  can  say  that  Christ  who  is  God,  is  in- 
finite, the  Lord  of  glory  was  crucified,  God  hath  boui^ht  his  church 
with  his  own  blood,  I  Cor.  ii.  8.  Acts  xx.  28.  We  may  say  also 
•vrith  respect  to  his  human  nature,  that  Christ  the  man  died,  is  in 
heaven,  John  iii.  13,  is  Mediator,  I  Tim.  ii.  5.  All  which  is  unintel- 
ligible withou'.  a  respect  to  this  personal  union.  But  we  cannot  use 
these  phi'ases  In  ihe  abstract ;  for  we  cannot  say  that  the  Godhead  of 
Christ  was  crucified,  that  his  manliood  was  in  l^eaven,  while  he  was 
on  earth,  because  then  the  Godhead  would  necessarily  be  the  man- 
hood, «nd  tlie  manhood  the  Godhead. 

2.  From  this  personal  union  follows  also  the  communion  of  the 
works  and  actions  of  both  natures  ;  by  which  we  understand  that 
both  natures  co-operate  iti  that  one  Person  in  the  same  work  of  re- 
demption, so  th.it  we  have  here  (a')  a  working  person  of  the  Media- 
tor, (b)  a  work  of  redemption,  and  (c)  a  twofold  principle,  his  divine 
and  human  nature,  which  do  each  contribute  their  proper  share  to 
the  work  of  redemption,  the  manhood  suffers,  and  the  Godhead  adds 
an  infinite  value  to  it,  Acts  xx.  28.  Whence  it  is  easy  to  understand 
tl)at  he  is  Mediator  according;  to  both  natures. 

3  The  third  consequence  of  this  personal  union  is,  that  many 
clorious  shifts  of  §f race  arc  communicated  to  the  mmhood  ;  and  par- 
ticularly, that  it  is  dignified  with  a  personal  union  with  the  Godhead, 
and  is  in  consequence  of  this  become  endued  with  exalted  wisdom, 
perfect  holiness,  power  and  dignity  above  all  men  and  angels.  See 
all  this  Luke  i    35      John  iii.  34.     Psalm  xlv.  7,     l^hilip.  iii.  6—9. 

F.  We  must  finally  inquire  for  what  en.-l  the  Son  of  God  became 
man.  The  threat  end  was  that  the  sinner  might  by  him  be  reconci- 
led to  God.  and  saved  :  the  whole  word  of  God  aims  at  this  only, 
and  the  name  Jesus  was  given  to  him  on  this  account.  It  is  there- 
fore an  idle  assertion  of  the  schoolmen  among  the  Papists,  of  the  So- 
cinians  and  Osiander,  that  Christ  would  have  become  man,  although 
man  had  not  sinned.  But  how  do  they  know  this  ?  have  they  been 
in  the  council  of  Ciod  .>  no  :  do  they  find  it  in  the  word  of  God  ?  the 
word  of  God  saith  nothing  of  it,  It  is  then  an  idle  fiction  of  their 
own  brains. 

But  inasmuch  as  the  instructor  adds  this  great  end  to  the  advan- 
tages of  the  incarnation  of  Christ  in  the  thirty-sixth  question,  there- 


XIV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  35,  S6.  2V9 

fore  he  shows  in  the  thirty-fifth  question  the  end  why  he  became  in^ 
carnate  particularly  of  the  virgin  Mary      Which  ends  are, 

1,  "  That  he  might  be  the  seed  of  David."  It  is  here  suppost-d 
thai- Mary  was  of  .the  seed  of  David,  and  indeed  truly  ;  for  she  was 
♦wo  ways  of  the  seed  of  David. (a)  By  her  marriage,  as  she  was 
espoused  to  Joseph,  who  wa?  of  the  family  of  David  by  Solomon, 
according  to  the  genealogy  of  Matthew,  Matt.  i.  And  thus  Mary 
■was  also  reckoned  of  the  seed  of  David,  because  women  were  con- 
sidered in  genealogical  accounts,  as  comprehended  in  tfie  men. 
But  she  was  not  only  in  this  way  of  the  seed  of  David,  but  al^o  by 
natural  descent,  (b)  in  consequence  of  lur  birth  of  Heli  according  to 
Luke  iii.  23,  who  was  indeed  the  father-in-law  of  Joseph  ;  but  the 
proper  father  of  his  spouse  Mary.  Now  Heli,  the  father  of  Mary, 
was  a  descendant  of  David  by  Nathan,  I^u*ke  iii. 

This  is  not  denied  by  the  words    '  thai    Elizabeth,  t'.e  cousin    of 
Mary,  was  of  the  daughters  of  Aaron,"  Luke  i.  5,  and  so  of  the  tribe 
of  Levi,  and  not  oft  e  family  of  David,  and  of  th.  tribe  of  Judah  : 
from  which  it  would  seem  to  fellow,  that  Mary  wus  not  of  the  family 
of  David.     But  we  must  know  that  Mury  could  very  well  be  of  the 
family  of  David,  although  Elizabeth  were  of  the  daughters  of  Aaron: 
for  the  mother  or  griind-mother  of  .Viary   might   have  been   of  the 
family  of  Aaron,  and  have   married  a  husband  of  David's  family,  of 
whom  Mary  was  then  born  in  the  family  of  David.     Or   it  might 
have  been,  that  the  motl)er,  or  grand-mother  of  Elizabeth  v/as  of  the 
family  of  David,  and  married  to  a  husband  of  Aaron's  family,    from 
•whom  Elizabeth  then  sprang.     And  therefore  it  is  no   contradiction 
•when  it  is  sa  dr  that  Elizabeth  was  of  the  daughters  of  Aaron,  of  the 
tribe  of  Levi,  Mid  Mary  of  the  family  of  David,  and  tribe  of  Judah. 
If  any  one  ask  vviiethe-  the  families  and  tribes  might  intermarry,  we 
say,  yes  ;  for  *' .  aron  of  the  tiibe  of  Levi,    married    the    sister   of 
Nahshon,  who  was  a  prince  of  tlie  children  of  Judah,"  Exod.  vi.  22. 
I  Cijron,  ii.    10.     The  priest  Jthoiada  had  the  sister  of  the  king  of 
Judah  to  wife,  2  CiiroD.  xxii.   11     and  David,  of  the  tribe  of  Judah^ 
had  the   daughter  of  Saul,  who  was  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,   to 
wife.     It  was  ordered  indeed,  Numb,  xxxvi.  6,  that  the  daughters  of 
Zelophehad  should  marry  only  in  a  family  of  the  tribe  of  their  fa- 
ther :  but  this  was  only  a  special   order   for  daughters   who  were 
heiresses,  and  not  for  all,  who,  having  brethren,  did  not  inherit,  and 
who,  by  marrying  into  another  tribe,  did  not  bring  the    possession  of 
their  father  to  another  trilie,  as  daughters,  who  were  heiresses,  would 
do  if  they  married  into  another  tribe  '  ?.nd  thersfore  they  were   for- 
bidden to  marry  out  of  their  tribe. 


300        THE  INCARNx\TION  OF  THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

Whence  it  therefore  follows,  that  the   Lord   Jesus  was  the  true 
seed  of  David,  and  thus  also   of  the   tribe  of  Judah,  Heb.  vii.  14. 
God  the  Lord  had  promised  David,  "  that  he  would  raise  up  the  Mes- 
siah of  his  loins,  and  that  he  should  sit  upon  his  throne,"  Psalm  cxxxii. 
1 1.  Acts  ii.  30.  That  this  promise  might  now  be  fulfilled,  the  Son  of 
God  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  born  of  the  virgin  Mary, 
that  he  might  sit  upon  the  throne  of  D^.vid  :  therefore   the  angel 
said  to  Mary,  when  he  brought  her  the  tidings,  that  she  should  con- 
ceive and  bear  the  Messiah,  Luke  i.  52,  33,  *'  He  shall  be  grefet,and 
shall  be  called  the  vSon  of  the  Highest  ;  and  the  Lord  God  shall  give 
him  the  throne  of  his  father  David  ;  and   he  shall   reign  over   the 
house  of  Jacob  for  ever,  and  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end." 
2.  The  second  end  which  the   instructor  mentioneih  is,  "  that  he 
might  be  like  his  brethren  in  all  things,  sin  excepted."     The  breth- 
ren of  Jesus  are  not  here  his  natural  brethren,  born  of  Mary ;  for 
we  do  not  find  that  Mary  ever  had  children  after   Jesus.     James   is 
indeed  called  the  brother  of  the  Lord,  Gal.  i.    19,   as   also   others, 
Matt  xiii.  35.     But  these  were,  according  to  the  style  of  scripture, 
only  cousins  after  the  flesh.     All  men  who  have   sprung  with  him 
from  Adam  by  natural    generation,   are  also  his  brethren  after  the 
flesh,  Luke  iii.  23 — 38.     Acts  xvii.  26,  but  they  are  not  his  spirit- 
ual brethren  ;  the  elect  only,  who   are  sanctified,  to   whom  he  de- 
clares the  name  of  the  Lord,  whom  !^c  receives  as  the  seed  of  Abra- 
ham, and  redeems  after  the  example  of  the  ancient  redeemers,  are 
his  spiritual  brethren,   Heb.   ii.    11  — 15.     It   behooved   him  to  be 
like  them  in    all  things,    if  he  should   redeem  them,  as  the  apostle 
saith,  Heb,  ii.  17,  which  we   have    also  shown    upon  the    sixteenth 
question.     Since  now  he  took  upon  him  the  true  human  nature,  of 
the  flesh  and  blood  of  Mary,  therefore  he  v/as  in  all   things   like  the 
brethren  ;  yea,  the  "  Firstborn  among  many  brethren,"  Rom.  viii.  29, 
and  therefore  also  his    Father's  heir,  Heb.  i.  12.     "Of  whom  the 
whole  family  in  heaven  and  on  earth   is   named,"  Eph.  iii.  15,  to 
whom  it  also  belongs  to  rule  over  his  brethren,   Psalm  Ixxxix.  27, 
for  these  things  were  the  privileges  of  the  firstborn. 

But  when  he  is  said  to  be  like  his  brethren  in  all  things,  "  sin  is 
excepted  ;"  which  we  have  also  proved  before,  when  we  shoived  that 
he  was  born  of  the  virgin  Mary,  out  of  the  broken  covenant  of  works. 
"We  maintain  this,  and  also  that  he  could  not  sin,  against  the  patrons 
of  freewill,  who  imagine  that  he  could  sin  ;  observe,  so  exceedingly 
are  they  enamoured  of  their  darling  freewill,  that  they  will  reproach 
even  the  Son  of  God  with  it.     But  how  could  he  sin,  v/hen  he  was 


XIV.  LORD'S  BAY,  Q.  35,  36.  30  i 

conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  united  to  the  divine  nature,  and 
had  received  the  Spirit  without  measure  ? 

II.  The  advantai;es  of  Christ's  incarnation  are,  according  to  the 
thirty  sixth  question,  these  two : 

1.  «That  he  is  our  Mediator."  He  is  a  Mediator  not  only  of 
intercession,  but  also  of  reconciliation,  as  it  behooved  him  to  be,  ac- 
cording to  what  we  have  taught  on  the  fifteenth  question.  The 
Mediator  behooved  to  be  God  and  man  in  one  person,  as  we  have 
shown  upon  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  questions.  Since  now 
the  Son  of  Cod  took  upon  himself  the  true  human  nature  in  one 
person,  therefore  he  is  also  the  Mediator  of  believers  ;  *♦  for  there 
is  one  God,  there  is  also  one  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  the 
man  Ciirist  Jesus  :  who  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all,"  1  Tim.  ii. 
5,  6.  This  is  truly  a  great  adv  ntagc  and  profit  to  his  brethren  ; 
they  were  indeed  alienated  from  God,  sin  had  separated  them  and 
their  God,  they  could  not  draw  near  to  him,  t'  make  reconciliation 
for  their  guilt,  or  to  ask  any  thing  of  him  ;  he  was  a  consuming  fire 
to  them.  But  behold,  the  Lord  God  himself  gives  tliem  his  Son, 
that  he  may  make  himself  of  no  reputation,  and  take  upon  him  the 
form  of  a  servant,  become  their  brother  and  so  their  mediator,  who 
reconciles  them  to  their  Judge,  entreats  his  Father,  that  they  may 
not  go  down  into  the  pit,  but  may  draw  near  to  him  vmh  confidenccj 
both  in  their  state  of  grace  and  of  glory:  "If  any  man  sin, 
we  have  an  Advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous. 
And  he  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins,"  I  John  ii.  1,  2.  See,  believ- 
ers, what  is  said  on  this  t>ubject  for  your  profit,  Rom,  viii.  33,  34, 
Heb.  X.  19—22. 

2.  The  second  advantage  of  Christ's  incarafition  is,  "  that  he  with 
his  innocence  covers  in  the  sight  of  God  our  sins,  wherein  we  were 
conceived  and  brought  forth."  We  have  explained  and  proved  on 
the  seventh  question,  that  every  man  is  conceived  and  brought  forth 
in  sin.  These  sins,  and  also  actual  sins  proceeding  from  them  are 
offences,  which  deserve  punishment,  and  are  recorded  before  God, 
that  he  may  recompense  them.  See  this  Isaiah  Ixv.  6,  Yea,  "  he 
S'jts  them  before  him  m  the  light  of  his  countenance,"  Psalm  xc.  3. 
But  Christ  the  Mediator  interposeth  between  God  and  the  sinner, 
and  thus  covers  and  hides  his  sins  from  the  face  of  God  by  taking 
them  away,  so  that  the  Lord  God  cannot  behold  them,  so  as  to  be 
wroth  on  account  of  them,  and  to  rebuke  the  sinner.  The  Mediator 
doth  this  "  v/ith  his  innocence  and  perfect  holiness."  This  innocence 
and  perfect  holiness  of  Christ  must  be  viewed,  either  as  a  requisite 
ouahfication  of  the  Mediator,  as  we  havf  ta\;ght  on  the  fifteenth 


S02        THE  INCARNATION  OF  THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

question :  or  as  meritorious,  because  his  holy  birth  is  advantageous 
to  beUevers,  as  well  as  his  sufferings.  See  Luke  ii.  10,  1 1.  The  law 
demands  a  holy  birth,  as  well  as  a  holy  life.     Whrn  a  man  hath  not 
this,  the  law  curses  him    But  the   iVledialor  substitutes  his  holy, 
though  humble  incarnaiion,  in  the  stead  of  it     Or  we  must  consider 
the  Mediator's  innocent  and  perfectly  hgly  manhood,  us  an  acceptable 
offering  to  God,  which  he  should  "  give  to  the  Father,as  an   offering 
and  a  sacrifice  for  a  sweet  smeUing  savour,"  Eph.  v.  2,  by  which  our 
sins  should  be  covered  in  the  sight  of  God,  as  Paul  teacheth  us  most 
emphatically,  Htb.  x.  i — 18.     And  this  is  also  a  great  advantage 
to  the  brethren  of  Christ.     For  noihing  is  more  grievous  to  them, 
than  that  their  sins  stand  uncancelled  in  the  sight  of  God,  yea,  they 
also  see  them  then  in  their  dreadful  nature,  and  the  wrath  of  God  on 
account  of  them  :  "  '^'•'y  sin  is   ever  before  me,"  said  David,  Psalm 
li.  3     Their  iniquities  do  then  go  over  their  heads,  and  as  a  heavy 
burthen,  become  too  heavy  for  them  ;  yea   God's  hand  presses,  and 
is  heavy  on  them  day  and  night,  and  thei    moisture  is  turned  into 
the  drought  of  summer,  and  with   Job  they  must  comp»lain  to  the 
Lord.     "  Thou  writest  bitter  things  against  me,  and  makest  me  to 
possess  the   iniquities  of  my  youth,"  Job  xiii.  26.     But  when  their 
sins  are  covered  m  the  sight  of  God,  then  ?11  their  distress  and  per- 
turbation  ceases,  a  won  lerfu'ly  sweet  and  tranquil  peace  and  calm 
takes  place  in  the  soul,  and  she  is  compassed  with  joyful  songs  of 
deliverance  ;  the  Lord  takes  pleasure  in  his  people,  and  they  behold 
his  countenance  with  joy.  Therefore  David  saith  with  reason,  "  Bles- 
sed is  he  whose  transgression  is  forgiven,  whose  sin  is  covered," 
Psalm  xxxii.  1.  Since  now  this  happiness  is  procured  by  the  holy 
incarnation  of  '..hrist,  therefore  this  is  of  the  greatest  advantage. 

This  then  is  the  faith  of  Christians,  that  the  Son  of  God  was  made 
man,  and  indeed  for  such  an  advantageous  purpose,  according  to  the 
■word  of  God,  which  proposes  him  thus,  as  the  object  of  faith  :  to 
■whom  the  ancients  looked,  John  viii.  56,  and  this  is  a  fundamental 
a,rticle  of  the  faith,  1  John  iv.  2,  3. 


APPLICATION. 

But,  hearers,  that  which  is  of  the  f,reatest  concern  to  you,  and 
^"rtiich  is  also  of  special  importance,  is,  whether  ye  too  arc  paitakers 


XiV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  3$,  36.  303 

of  the  advantages  of  Christ's  incarnation,  and  whether  he  is.youp 
iBrother  and  P*^ediator,  who  with  his  innocence  and  perfect  holiness 
covers  your  sins.  Do  ye  believe  this  for  yourselves  ?  do  ye  say, 
yea  ? 

1.  Have  your  sins  then  been  discovered  to  you,  so  that  ye  see 
them  clearly  in  the  sight  of  God,  not  merely  with  a  simple  appre- 
hension, knowing  that  ye  are  sinners,  but  so  that  ye  see  them  in 
'  yourselves,  and  in  their  circumstances,  ye  have  a  clear  view  of  them, 
ye  are  tioubled,  grieved  and  concerned  on  account  of  them  ;  ye  do 
not  cover  them,  nor  palliate  your  guilt  with  the  fool,  but  confess 
them  wilUiigly  before  the  Lord,  and  earnestly  desire  that  they  may 
be  covered  in  the  sight  of  God  with  the  innocence  and  perfect  holi* 
ness  of  Christ.  If  it  be  thus  with  you,  then  Christ  came  for  your 
salvation  ;  "  For  the  Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which 
was   lost,"    Matt.  xvii.  11.    See  also  Matt.  ix.  13.    1  Tim,   i.    15. 

Or  do  ye  know  nothing  of  this  ?  and  do  ye  endeavour  to  cover 
your  sins  ?  are  ye  unwilling  that  tiiey  should  be  exposed  to  your 
view,  and  doth  such  an  exposure  provoke  you  to  anger  ?  and  when 
your  conscience  convinceth  and  distresses  you,  do  ye  then  stifle  it, 
and  endeavour  to  divert  your  anxiety  by  pursuing  this  or  that  amuse- 
ment, or  by  indulging  yourselves  in  abominations,  or  by  doing 
some  duty,  or  by  flattering  yourselves  "  that  ye  shall  have  peace, 
though  ye  walk  in  the  imagination  of  your  hearts  ;"  know  then  that 
*'  the  Lord  will  not  spare  you,  but  that  his  anger  and  jealousy  will 
smoke  against  you,  Deui.  xxix.  19,  20. 

2.  Ye  who  think  that  Christ  became  incarnate  for  you,  and  who 
are  sometimes  troubled  on  account  of  your  sins,  do  ye  also  turn  from 
your  sins  ?  do  ye  part  with  them  ?  do  ye  cast  them  away,  as  a 
menstruous  cloth  ?  and  do  ye  say  to  every  one  of  them,  and  not  only 
to  this  and  that  one,  get  thee  hence  ?  do  ye  turn  to  the  Lord  heartily, 
sincerely  and  continually,  that  ye  may  keep  his  commandments,  for 
ever  ?  and  when  your  iniquities  take  hold  of  you,  ;ind  cast  you  down, 
do  ye  rise  up  again,  mourn  and  fight  against  them  ?  then  the  incar- 
nation of  Christ  is  profitable  to  you  ;  for  he  was  promised  for  you, 
Isaiah  lix.  20.  "  The  Redeemer  shall  come  to  Zion,  and  unto  them 
that  turn  from  transgression  in  Jacob,  saith  the  Lord." 

But  are  ye  still  the  samt:  that  ye  always  were,  without  any  change 
for  the  better  ?  or  have  ye  in  some  measure  forsaken  this  and  that 
sin,  while  ye. retain  knowingly  and  wilfully,  without  opposition,  your 
constitutional  sin,  as  a  delicate  morsel  under  your  tongue  ?  ye  will 
not  be  just  the  most  wicked  wretches,  but  moral  and  devaut ;  and 


504        THE  INCARNATION  Or  THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

ye  will  not  turn  tnily  and  wholly  to  the  Lord  ;  how  can  ye  then 
thrnkthal  ye  will  receive  proSt  from  the  incarnation  of  Christ  ? 
^  3.  Ye  who  believe  that  the  man  Christ  Jesus  is  your  brother  and 
mediator,  who  covers  your  sins  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  how  did  he  be- 
come your  brother  and  mediator?  have  ye  united  yourselves  to  him,  ^ 
and  procured  him  to  "  dwell  in  your  hearts  by  faith  ?"  Eph.  iii.  17, 
have  vc  received  him,  and  obtained  power  to  become  the  sons  of 
God«  and  so  the  brethren  of  Christ,  and  to  obtain  reconciliation  by 
his  blood,  because  your  sins  are  covered  in  the  sight  of  Goi  ?  then 
it  is  evident  that  he  is  iruly  your  brothei,  according  to  John  i.  12. 
Rom.  iii.  25. 

Or  do  ye  know  nothing  of  this  by  an  actual  experience  ?  Ye  know 
indeed  thai  we  must  believe  in  him,  and  that  we  are  united  to  him 
by  faith,  t)ut  ye  have  never  yet  exercised  this  act  of  faith  by  receiv- 
ing him,  though  he  came  to  you  by  the  offer  of  the  gospel ;  there- 
fore ye  are  yet  "  without  Christ,"  Eph.  ii.  12. 

4.  Are  ye  certain,  that  the  great  benefit  of  the  incarnation  of 
Christ  belongs  to  you  ?  are  ye  then  become  like  him  even  conforma- 
ble to  his  image,  as  he  became  like  you  by  taking  upon  himself 
the  human  nature  ?  have  ye  been  conceived  and  born  again  of  his 
Spirit,  so  that  he  hath  been  formed  in  you  ?  as  he  separated  himself 
fi'om  whatever  was  sinful,  and  dedicated  himself  to  God,  that  he 
might  live  in  and  for  him,  and  to  his  service,  have  ye  also  thus  died 
to  yourselves  r  and  is  your  life  hidden  with  Christ  in  God  ?  then  he 
is  also  your  brother  and  mediator,  and  covers  in  the  sight  of  God 
all  your  sins.  And  so  ye  have  the  evidence,  that  "  God  fore-ordained 
you  to  be  conformed  to  the  image  of  his  Son,"  Rom.  viii.  29.  Yea, 
»'  that  which  is  true  in  him,  is  also  true  in  you,"  1  John  ii.  8. 

But  if  it  be  not  thus  v^'ith  you,  and  if  ye  be  still  conformed  to  the 

world,  and  act  as  this  and   that  worldling  acts,   and   think  that  it  is 

lawful  for  you,'  because  this  and  that  one  doth  so,  and  if  ye  have  no 

more  of  Christianity  than  the  name,  and  the  outward  profession,  with 

a  fev/  religious   ceremonies  ;  how  can  ye  then  think  that  Christ  be- 

cime   incarnate  for  your  good  !  ye  have  indeed  not  one  solid  proof 

t'i'  this  ;  and  did  he  not  become  incarnate  for  your  good,  it  will  then 

be  to  your  harm,  and  will  greatly  aggravate  your  sins  ?  Hear  him 

say  himself,  John  xv.  22.  "If  I  had  not  come  and  spoken  to  them, 

they  had  not  had  sin  ;  but  now  they  have  no  cloak  for  their  sin.  He 

is  set  as  well  for  a  fall,  as  for  a  rising  again,"  Luke  ii.  34.    See  only 

how  dreadful  and  intolerable  his  coming  will  be  to  them,  who  are 

straiit^ers  to  him,   Mai.  iii.  2.     Doth  this  not  affect  you,  consider 

what  ye  will  do,  when  his  second  coming  will  awaken  and  consume 


XrV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  35,  36.  305 

you :  for  concerning  this  we  can  say.  "  Behold,  the  day  comcth 
that  shall  burn  as  an  oven,  and  all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do 
wickedly,  shall  be  stubble,  and  the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them 
up,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  that  it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor 
branch,"  Mai.  iv,  1. 

Therefore,  behold  your  perdition,  endea's^our  to  escape  from  it, 
receive  him  still,  while  he  still  offers  himself  to  you,  yea,  invites  you 
to  him,  that  he  may  manifest  his  kindness  to  you,  and  save  you, 
Isaiah  xlv.  22.  Matt.  ix.  13. 

But  with  respect  to  you,  who  have  been  convinced  of  your  sins, 
have  turned  from  them.,  have  received  the  Son  of  man,  and  are  born 
again  after  his  image,  manifest  now  that  ye  believe  this  great  truth 
©f  the  incarnation  of  Christ.     And  therefore, 

1.  Endeavour  to  contemplate  the  length,  breadth,  depth  and  height 
of  it :  "  iMary  kept  ail  these  things,  which  concerned  her  child,  and 
pondered  them  in  her  heart,"  Luke  ii.  19.  "The  angels  desire  to 
look  into  these  things,"  1  Peter  i.  12,  for  "  without  controversy  great  is 
the  mystery  of  godliness  :  God  was  manifest  in  the  6esh,"  1  Tim.  liu 
16.  Of  ail  the  great  and  inconceivable  wonders,  which  God  hath  ever 
w^rought,  none  is  comparable  to  tiiis  wonder  ;  it  is  a  wonder  which 
surpasseth  all  wonders,  that  the  Son  of  God  was  made  man  ;  that  he 
who  was  equal  with  God  took  upon  himself  the  form  of  a  servant  ; 
that  he  was  made  man  of  a  virgin  ;  that  the  Holy  One  was  sent  in 
the  likeaess  of  sinful  flesh  ;  that  he  was  born  perfectly  holy  of  a  sin- 
ner, that  although  he  became  man,  he  nevertheless  is  and  continueth 
true  and  eternal  God  :  yea,  that  he  became  man  to  suffer,  tlius  to 
cover  our  sins  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  like  your  eldest  brother  and 
mediator  to  redeem  you,  and  that  "  God  made  him  who  knew  no 
sin,  to  be  sin  for  you  ;  that  ye  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of 
God  in  him,"  2  Cor.  v.  21.  The  jwonderful  power  of  God  shines 
forth  here  in  the  brightest  manner,  since  he  hath  effected  so  many 
wonders,  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God  beams  forth  here  in  the  clear- 
est manner,  since  he  knew  how  to  devise  a  way  for  the  salvation  of 
sinners,  and  order  it  so,  that  neither  his  justice  nor  his  mercy  should 
be  in  the  least  dishonoured,  but  that  God  who  is  holy  should  be 
sanctified  by  righteousness ;  the  power  of  the  divine  love  appears 
here  in  the  most  lovely  manner ,  "  For  herein  is  love,  not  tliat  we 
loved  God,  but  that  he  loved  us,  and  sent  his  Son  to  be  the  prophia- 
tion  for  our  sins,"  1  John  iv.  10.  O  how  ought  ye  to  wonder  at  this  ! 
Did  Elisabeth  wonder  so,  that  she  said,  "  Whence  is  this  to  me,  that 
%he  mother  of  my  Lord  should  come  to  me,"  Luke  i.  43,  how  ought 

Tt 


306        THE  INCARNATION  OF  THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

it  then  to  ravish  you,  that  your  Lord  himself  cmo«s  to  you  !  yea> 
your  wonder  oug-ht  to  transport  yi:)U  out  of  rour^^elves.  and  cause  you 
to  celebrate  c.c  praises  of  the  Lord.  Hehold  how  Klis^beth,  Mary, 
the  shepherds,  Simeon  and  Anna  praised  the  Lord  on  account  of 
this  matter.  Yea,  the  angels  came  down  from  heaven  on  earth, 
"  P'':iising  'Joel,  and  sayini^,  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on 
earth  fjcace,  good  will  lowards  men,"  Luke  ii.  13,  14. 

2.  Exercise  yourselves  much  in  acts  of  union  with  him.  Ye  are 
united  to  him,  he  hath  taken  your  nature  upon  him,  and  united  it  to 
himself;  ye  are  considered  by  God  as  in  him  ;  his  Spirit  hath  in- 
grafted you  into  him  ;  ye  have  united  him  to  you  by  faith  :  but  how 
great  an  estrangement  doth  there  often  take  place  between  him  and 
you  !  Oh,  do  not  suffer  it,  but  *'  acquaint  yourselves  with  him,  and 
be  at  peace,"  Job  xxii.  21.  Let  your  souls  "follow  hard  after  him," 
with  strong  desires  and  aspirations,  like  David,  Psalm  Ixiii.  8. 
Maintain  an  active  faith,  that  ye  may  cause  him  to  dwell  in  your 
hearts,  and  exert  often  an  ardent  love,  that  ye  may  hold  him  fast, 
like  the  spouse,  "  who  would  hold  him,  and  not  let  him  go,"  Song 
iii.  4.  For  "  he  who  cleaves  to  the  Lord  is  thus  one  spirit  with  hira," 
1  Cor.  vi.   \7. 

3.  Show  now  also  by  your  conversation  that  he  became  like  you  as 
his  brethren,  and  that  ye  are  become  like  him  by  your  regeneration 
and  sanctification  :  "Let  this  mind  be  in  you,  which  was  also  in 
Christ  Jesus,  who  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery 
to  be  equal  with  God  :  but  made  himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took 
upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  hkeness  of 
men,"  Philip,  ii.  5,  6.  His  humility,  low'liness,  self-denial,  heavenly- 
mindedness,  obedience  to  his  Father,  love  to  God  and  his  brethren, 
ought  to  beam  forth  also  in  you  :  "  He  that  saiih  he  abideth  in  him, 
ought  also  so  to  walk,  as  he  hath  walked,"  J  John  ii.  6. 

4.  Is  he  become  your  brother,  and  indeed  your  eldest  brother  hj 
his  incarnation,  submit  yourselves  then  to  him.  It  was  the  privilege 
of  the  first-born  in  ancient  times  to  rule  over  the  younger  brethren,  as 
we  have  shown  in  our  explanation  ;  therefore  Paul  also  saith,  Coll.  i. 
18.  '<  He  is  he  head  of  the  body,  the  church,  he  is  the  beginning, 
the  first-bo»T  from  the  dead  ;  that  in  all  thing's  he  might  have  the  pre- 
eminence." The  t-ord  said  to  Cain  concerning  Abel,  Gen.  iv.  7. 
"  His  desir:;  iiall  be  unto  thee,  and  t  lou  s^  dt  rule  over  him  "  But  is 
not  your  desire  also  to  your  Brother,  tiiat  he  should  rule  over  you  ? 
verily  he  hath  deserved  it  of  you,  since  he  became  man  and  mediator 
for  you,  that  he  might  cover  your  sins  in  ths  sight  of  God.   And  for 


XIV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  35,  36.  307 

what  purpose  is  he  the  true  seed  of  David  ?  is  it  not,  that  he  may 
reign  over  the  house  of  Jacob  ? 

5.  By  his  incarnation  he  hath  also  become  a  Mediator  for  you  be- 
tween God  and  you.  Do  not  expect  then  that  God  will  draw  nigh 
to  your  souls  in  his  grace,  except  through  him  :  "  He  is  made  of 
God  unto  you  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification,  and  redemp- 
tion," 1  Cor.  i.  30.  Neither  should  ye  draw  nigh  to  God,  except 
through  hira ;  "  Jesus  said,  I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth  and  the 
life  :  no  man  comelh  to  the  P'ather  but  by  me,"  John  xiv.  6.  Let 
this,  that  your  Mediator  is  also  your  Brother,  encourage  you  to 
go  boldly  to  the  throne  :  '*  For  we  have  boldness  to  enter  mto 
the  hoUest  by  the  blood  of  JeSus,  by  a  new  and  living  way,  which 
he  hath  consecrated  for  us  through  the  veil,  that  is,  his  fltsh,"  Heb. 
ix.  19,  20.     Eph.  iii.   12. 

6.  He  hath  covered  your  sins  in  the  sight  of  God  by  his  holy  incar- 
r.ation  :  Beware  then  of  uncovering  them  again,  either  by  a  careless 
and  dissolute  behaviour,  by  which  your  iniquity  will  rise  up,  and  be 
disGOVf-red  in  tie  sight  of  God,  yea,  of  men,  and  distress  your  souls 
in  a  giievous  manner:  "  When  the  Lord  speaketh  pe 'ce  to  his 
Saints,  let  them  not  return  again  to  folly,"  Psalm  Ixxxv.  8.  or  by  un- 
belief, whereby  we  mistrust  the  grace  of  God  and  of  his  Son,  either 
through  a  mere  conceit,  or  on  account  of  adversity,  as  if  our  sins 
were  not  covered  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  he  had  not  testified  this 
to  the  soul.  May  we  not  apply  here  that  which  is  said,  Joo.  xv.  1 1, 
12,  13.  "  Are  the  consolations  of  God  small  with  thee  ?  is  there 
any  secret  thing  with  thee  ?  wiiy  doth  tlii  le  heart  carry  thee  away  ? 
and  what  do  thine  eyes  wink  at  ?  that  thou  turnest  thy  spirit  against 
God,  and  lettcst  such  words  ^o  out  of  thy  n;ou  '".  ?" 

7.  Finally,  let  the  incarnation  of  Jesus  supnort  you  under  your 
dejections-  The  incarnation  of  Jesus  is  truly  ''the  consolation  of 
Israel,"  Luke  ii  25.  Are  ye  mean  and  despised  in  the  vorld,  and 
doth  this  disturb  you,  let  it  suffice  you  that  the  Son  of  God  is  your 
brother,  and  that  ye  are  of  one  family  with  your  Brother,  Heb.  ii. 
II.  Do  ye  suffer  many  afflictions  in  soul  and  body  ;  *'  he  was  made 
like  you  his  brethren  in  all  things  ;  that  he  might  be  a  merciful 
and  faithful  high  priest,  in  things  pertaining  to  God,  to  make  reconcil- 
iation for  the  sins  of  the  people  :  for  in  that  he  himself  hath  suffered, 
being  tempted,  he  is  able  to  succour  them  that  are  tempted,"  Heb.  ii. 
17,  18.  Are  ye  troubled  mostly  on  account  of  your  sins?  "Jesus 
Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  yea,  the  chief  of  sinners," 
3  Tim.  i.  15.  Are  your  bodies  exceedingly  weak  and  languid  ?  The 
*^on  of  God,  who  was  make  like  you,  "Bhall  change  your  vile  bo- 


30t        THE  INCARNATION  OP  THE  SON  OF  GOD. 

dies,  that  they  may  be  fashioned  like  unto  his  glorious  body,"  PhilTp^ 
iii  3 1 .  Must  ye  often  stand  aloof  from  him,  and  be  separated  from  hin\> 
so  that  ye  are  even  hidden  from  his  face,  it  will  not  be  long  ere  «  ye 
shall  be  taken  up  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air.  And  s» 
ye  shall  be  ever  with  the  Lord.  Wherefore  comfort  oae  aaothcr 
with  those  words,"  Ajnen^ 


(  34)9  } 


CHRIST^S  SUFFERINGS 


AND 


CROSS  UNDER  PONTIUS  PILATE. 


XV.  LORD'S  DAY» 


1  Peter  iii.  18.    For  Christ  hath  also  once  suffered  for  sins,  the  jwt 
for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God. 

Q.  37.   What  dofit  thou  understand  by  the  word  ^^  he  suffered?" 

A.  That  he,  all  the  time  he  Hved  upon  earth,  but  especially  at 
the  end  of  his  Hfe,  sustained  in  body  and  soul,  the  wrath  of  God 
against  the  sins  of  all  mankind,  that  so  by  his  passion,  as  the  only 
propitiatory  sacrifice,  he  might  redeem  our  body  anc'  fcoul  from  ever- 
lasting damnation,  and  obtain  for  us  the  favour  of  God,  righteousness 
and  eternal  life. 

Q,  38.    Why  did  he  then  suffer  under  Pontius  Filafe  as  his  Judge? 

A.  That  he,  being  innocent,  and  yet  condemned  by  a  temporal 
judge,  might  thereby  free  us  from  the  severe  judgment  of  God,  to 
tvhich  we  were  exposed. 

Q.  39.  Is  there  any  thing  more  in  his  being  cruci^ed,  than  if  he  had 
died  some  other  death  ? 

A.  Yes  there  is :  tor  thereby  I  am  assured,  that  he  took  on  him 
the  curse  which  lay  on  me  ;  for  the  death  of  the  cross  was  accursed 
of  God. 

'HE  Saviour  Jesus  speaking  of  himself,  saith  Matt.  xx.  28.  "  The 
Son  of  roan  came  xm\  to  be  miiustered  UDto,  but  to  nunister,  and 


S19  CHRIST'S  SUFFERINGS,  Sec. 

jlve  his  life  a  ransom  for  many."  It  was  indeed  foretold,  that  Israel 
should  serve  David  their  King,  the  Messiah,  Jer.  xxx.  9,  as  the 
Father  also  promised  to  him  in  the  council  of  peace,  "  that  he  should 
have  the  heathen  for  his  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth  for  his  possess'on,"  Psalm  ii.  8,  wherefore  he  also  went  by  his 
incarnatioa,  like  a  nobleman,  into  a  far  country,  that  he  might  re- 
ceive a  kingdom  for  himself,  Luke  xix.  12,  but  it  i:ehQpved  him  first 
to  humble  himself,  and  "  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  if  he 
ahould  see  his  seed,"  Isaiah  liii.  10  And  so  he  came  in  a  humbl© 
manner,  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  mmister,  and  to  give  his 
Jife  a  ransom  for  many,  inasmuch  as  he  came  to  suffer ;  therefore 
he  is  also  represented  to  us,  as  "  one  whom  man  despised,  whom 
the  nation  abhorred,  and  a  servant  of  rulers,"  Isaiah  xlix.  7.  On 
which  account  he  also  withdrew,  when  "  he  knew  that  they  would 
come,  and  take  him  by  force,  and  mak'C  him  a  king,"  John  vi.  15. 
His  design  in  coming  into  the  vvorM  was,  "  to  save  sinners,"  1  Tim* 
i.  15.  As  it  was  also  foretold,  that  he  should  come  in  a  most  de- 
spised condition,  in  order  to  suffer,  and  give  his  soul  a  ransom,  and 
an  offering  for  sin,  Isniah  liii.  And  therefore  his  suffering  and 
humilialion  for  the  redemption  of  the  elect  sinner  arc  usually  joined 
to  his  incarnation,  as  we  see  not  only,  Matt,  xx.  28,  but  also  Matt* 
xviii.  U.|Philip,  ii.  7,  8,  In  this  manner  do  the  compilers  of  the  Chris- 
tian creed  proceed,  when  they  teach  us  to  say,  "  Who  was  conceived 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  born  of  the  virgin  Mary,  suffered  under  Pontius 
Pilate."  And  in  this  manner  doth  the  instructor  also  proceed  j  for 
after  explaining  the  doctrme  of  Christ's  incarnation  in  the  fourteenth^ 
Lord's  day,  he  exhibits  his  suffering  in  this  Lord's  day. 

We  have  three  general  heads  proposed  in  this  Lord's  day  : 

I.  The  exposition  of  the  word'  **  suffered,"  Question  37. 

II.  the  reason  why  he  suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  Question  38. 

III.  The  grievousness  of  his  crucifixion.  Question  39. 

1.  Although  tiie  word,  "  suffered  "  is  very  small,  yet  it  implies  the 
whole  of  Christ's  sufferings,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  his 
life  :  *'  Christ  suffered  once  for  sis,"  saith  our  text.  See  this  also. 
Heb.  ii.  18.  1  Peter  ii.  2i.  The  captious  Remonstrants  will  not 
allow  that  the  whole  of  Christ's  sufferings  is  expressed  by  the  word^ 
''  suffered."  The  creed  restrains  the  suffering  indeed  to  Pontius 
Pilate  ;  yet  this  doth  not  exclude  Christ's  former  sufferings,  but  only 
shows  when  he  suffered  most  grievously. 

Ill  order  then  to  explain  this  word  in  its  more  extensive  significa- 
tion., we  will  consider  particularly,  (a)  who  suffered,  (b)  what  he  suf- 
fered, (c)  when  he  sulfered,  (d)  for  what  end  he  suffered,  and  (e) 
for  whom  he  suffered. 


XV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  37,  S6,  3#*  311 

A.  If  we  believe  the  word  of  God,  we  must  say  that  the  Son  of 
God,  who  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  born  of  the  virgin 
Mary,  suffered ;  and  that  not  only  in  appearance,  but  in  reality.  We 
do  not  deem  it  necessary  to  refute  here  the  anci  nt  and  long  since 
obsolete  opinions  of  the  Patripassians,  who  taught  that  the  I-  aihet 
suffered  :  neither  will  we  busy  ourselves  with  Marcion,  and  others, 
■who  held  that  the  Son  of  God  suft'ere; '  only  in  appearance,  and  not 
in  reality.  These  opinions  have  confuted  themselves  and  they  have 
therefore  also  perished,  and  we  know  not  that  they  are  patronized 
by  a  single  person  at  present.  Sabellius  taught  in  former  times  that 
the  divine  and  human  natures  of  Christ  were  mixed,  the  one  with 
the  other,  or  that  the  Godhead  was  changed  into  the  manhood,  which 
opinion  is  still  maintained  by  certain  Anabaptists,  who  also  say  that 
the  Son  of  God  suffered  in  his  Godhead.  But  what  can  be  imagined 
more  absurd  ?  For  since  he  is  the  blessed  and  unchangeable  God,  he 
is  also  "immortal  and  incorruptible,"  1  Tim.  i.  17.  vi.  16.  The 
apostle  saith  indeed  that  "  God  hath  purchased  his  church  with  his 
own  blood,"  Acts  xx.  38,  but  he  doth  not  say  that  the  Godhead  pur- 
chased the  church  with  its  own  blood  :  he  only  intimateth  that  the 
person,  who  gave  the  blood  of  his  manhood  to  redeem  and  purchase 
his  church,  was  God. 

But  when  we  say  that  he  suffered  only  in  his  manhood,  we  do  not 
understand  it  only  of  his  body,  as  the  Papists  do,  in  order  to  deny 
the  perfection  of  Christ's  satisfaction,  but  also  of "  his  soul,  which 
was  exceedingly  sorrowful  even  unto  death,"  Matt.  xxvi.  38.  We 
must  understand  this  not  only  of  the  inferior  and  less  ncble  parts  of' 
his  soul,  which  were  affected  With  sorrow,  fear  and  compassion,  on 
account  of  his  approaching  bodily  suffering,  as  the  Papists  speak  s 
for  he  suffered  properly  the  power  of  God's  wrath  in  his  soul ;  inas- 
much as  compassion  and  fear  alone  could  not  cause  him  to  mourn 
and  sweat  blood,  as  he  did,  because  he  would  then  have  manifested 
greater  weakness  than  many  martyrs,  whose  souls  sustained  the 
most  grievous  suffering  with  the  greatest  courage,  triuuiph  and  joy. 
He  was  also  obliged  to  satisfy  the  justice  of  God  for  the  sins  of  the 
soul,  and  thus  to  give  his  soul  a  ransom  for  many,"  Matt.  xx.  28. 
It  was  also  foretold,  that  "  he  should  make  his  soul  an  offering  for 
sin,"  Isaiah  liii.  10,  as  it  was  also  typified;  when  the  blood  of  beasts, 
and  therefore  their  soul  was  offered  upon  the  altar,  to  make  recon- 
ciliation for  souls.  Lev.  xviii.  1 1 . 

But  although  Jesus  suffered  only  in  his  manhood,  yet  he  did  not 
suffer  without  any  relation  to  his  Godhead:  but  his  Godhead  (1) 
surrendered  the  manhood  to  be  an  offering  for  sin,  and  .dedicated  i' 


312  CHRIST'S  SUFFERINGS,  Stc. 

to  God,  to  make  reconciliation  :  «  He  offered  himself  without  spdt 
to  God  through  the  eternal  Spirit,  to  purge  the  conscience,"  Heb. 
ix.  14.  See  John  X.  18.  Eph.  v.  2.(2)  His  Godhead  veiled  its 
glory  under  the  manhood,  so  that  it  could  not  beam  forth  in  its  great- 
est lustre  :  "For  he,  who  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not 
robbery  to  be  equal  with  God,  made  himself  of  no  reputation,  and 
took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  was  made  in  the  likeness 
of  men  :  and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he  humbled  himself, 
and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross,"  Philip, 
ii.  6 J  7,  8-  (r>)  The  Godhead  sustained  the  manhood  under  its  suf- 
fering :  "  His  own  arm  brought  him  salvation,  and  his  fury  it  upheld 
him  ;  for  tlie  Lord  God  helped  him,  therefore  he  was  not  confoun- 
ded :  therefore  he  set  his  face  like  a  flint,  knowing  that  he  should 
not  be  ashamed."  Isainh  1.  7.  (4)  The  Godhead  also  added  the 
value  to  his  suffering  ;  by  which  the  sufifering  of  the  manhood  being 
the  suffering  of  him  who  was  also  God,  "  brought  in  an  everlasting 
righteousness,"  Dan.  ix.  24.     Acts  xx.  28.     1  John  i.  7, 

5.  We  shall  now  consider  what  he  suffered.  The  instructor  saith 
"  that  he  suffered  the  wratii  of  God  against  the  sins  of  all  mankind." 
God  was  terribly  displeased  with  the  sins  of  mankind,  as  we  have 
shown  on  the  tenth  question.  S:nce  now  the  Son  of  God  was  be- 
come surety,  and  had  taken  all  the  sins  of  elect  men  upon  himself, 
in  order  to  satisfy  for  them,  therefore  the  righteous  God  also  stirred 
up  his  whole  wrath,  and  poured  it  out  upon  the  Surety.  It  is  indeed 
true,  that  he  suffered  from  devils  and  from  men,  from  friends  and 
from  enem.ies  ;  but  in  all  this  he  still  suffered  the  wrath  of  God. 
For  (1)  the  men  who  procured  this  suffering  to  him,  were  the  rods 
of  God's  anger,"  Isaiah  x  5.  Therefore  Peter  also  saith,  Acts  ii. 
23.  "  Him,  being  delivered  by  the  determinate  council  and  fore- 
knowledge of  God,  ye  havt  taken,  and  by  wicked  hands  have  cruci- 
fied and  slain."  (2)  He  suffered  all  that  was  necessary  to  make  sat- 
isfaction for  sin,  as  we  shall  show  in  the  sequel.  Now  sin  could  not 
he  satisfied  for,  but  by  bearing  the  wrath  of  God  :  this  hath  been 
proved  on  the  fifth  Lord's  day.  (5)  The  suffering  was  a  cup  of 
God's  wrath,  as  we  see  Matt.  xxvi.  39,  compared  with  Psalm  xl.  6. 
Isaiah  Ii.  ir — 33.  Jer.  xxv.  15 — 29.  (4)  He  suffered  the  death  of 
the  cross,  inflicted  on  him  by  men,  as  a  curse,  and  indeed  so,  that  he 
hath  delivered  the  elect  from  the  carse.  Gal.  iii.  13. 

He  suffered  the  wrath  of  God  thus  from  wicked  instruments  ;  but 
lie  suffered  it  also  immediately  in  his  soul,  when  his  Father  whhheld 
his  light  and  lovingkindness  from  him,  abandoned  him  to  a  dreadful 
darkness,  subjected  him  to  his  grievous  wrsth  on  account  of  all  the 


XV.  LORD'S  IJAY,  Q.  37,  38,  39  iJ13 

sins  6f  the  elect,  and  let  all  the  powers  of  hell  loose  upon  him.  \Ve 
niight  speak  of  this  somewhat  more  largely  here,  but  it  will  be  more 
proper  to  do  it  in  order  oq  the  forty-fourth  question. 

C.  We  must  observe  in  the  third  place,  with  respect  to  the  wori 
suffered,  when  Christ  suffered.  The  catechism  saiih,  that  he  suf- 
fered m  body  and  soul  "  during  his  whole  life."  This  is  also  true  : 
for  he  Was  born  in  a  poor  and  needy  conditio/i  ;  when  he  was  only 
eight  days  old,  he  underwent  the  bloody  and  painful  rite  of  circum- 
cision: he  was  obliged  to  flee  for  his  life  into  Egypt,  while  hfc  was 
yet  very  young.  He  had  no  sooner  be.<un  his  puhlick  ministry,  than 
he  fasted  forty  days,  was  tempted  by  the  devil,  blasphemed,  threat- 
ened, and  insidiously  watched  by  the  Jews  ;  and  thoilg^h  the  foxes 
had  holes,  and  the  birds  of  the  air  had  nests,  yet  the  Son  of  Man 
had  not  where  to  lay  his  head.  And  who  knows  what  spiritual  dis- 
tresses and  desertions  he  wms  obliged  to  suffer,  when  he  spent  so 
great  a  part  of  his  linne  alonb,  ahd  in  the  dreary  night,  that  he  might 
wrestle  in  prayer  with  his  Father. 

But  he  suffered  the  wrath  of  God  particularly  "  at  the  end  of  his 
life."  Then  the  hour  and  power  of  darkness  surprised  him,  when 
his  Father  attacked  him  with  his  anger  in  the  garden  and  on  the 
cross  ;  when  he  was  betrayed  by  his  own  apostle  Judas,  was  appre- 
hended as  a  thief  by  the  Jews  with  swords  and  staves^  was  deserted 
by  his  pious  disciples,  and  denied  by  his  zealous  Peter,  dragged 
from  tribunal  to  tribunal,  falsely  accused  there  of  sedition  and  blasphe- 
my, condemned,  mocked,  spitten  upon,  scourged,  and  finally  put  to 
death  in  the  most  shameful,  and  most  painful  manner  on  the  cross. 
Alas,  how  bitter  was  all  this  to  him  1  The  anguish  of  his  heart  for- 
ced that  dismal  complaint  fronti  hitn,  which  he  uttered  with  a  loud 
voice,  *'  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thoU  forsaken  me  ?"  All  na- 
ture was  disturbed  at  this  grievous  suffering  :  "  For  the  sun  was 
darkened,  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  twain  from  the  top  to 
the  bottom,  the  earth  quaked,  the  rocks  rent,  the  graves  were  opened^ 
and  many  bodies  of  saints  which  slept  arose/'  Matt,  xxviii  45,  46, 
50,  51,  52. 

D.  The  fourth  particular  that  requires  our  consideration  with 
respect  to  the  word  suffered,  is  the  end  for  which  Christ  suffered. 
Surely  it  could  not  be  by  accident,  and  without  a  regard  to  some 
great  end,  that  God's  innocent  Son  suffered  so  long  a  time,  and  sO 
grievously.  The  word  of  God  informs  us,  that  he  suffered,  (a)  "  Be- 
cause the  hand  and  counsel  of  God  had  before  determined,  that  htt 
should  suffer,"  Acts  iv.  28.  He  had  entered  into  an  engagement  to 
his  Father  in  the  council  of  peace  to  suffer,  Psalm  xl.  6,  7,  S.     Ill 

Uu 


$U  CHRlSt'S  SUFJ?ER1NGS,  kt^ 

order  to  fulSl  this  council,  he  submitted  w.Ilinp^ly  to  suffering  ;  thetc^ 
fore  he  said  to  Peter,  who  would  protect  hi  in  from  suffering,  *'  The 
cup  which  n»y  Father  hath  given  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it  ?"  John  xviii. 
11.  The  word  of  C.od  also  tc.chelh  us,  (b)  »hat  he  suffered  in  or- 
der to  fulfil  tlie  prophecies.  It  was  often  foretold,  ;and  particularly 
in  the  xxii.  Psalm,  ..nd  Isaiah  iiii.  that  Christ  should  suffer.  He 
would  therefore  suffer,  thai  he  might  fulfil  the  scriptures  in  thi& 
respect :  wherefore,  when  he  con^plains  of  the  injui-tice  of  his  ene- 
mies, that  they  took  him  with  swords  and  staves,  as  if  he  had  been 
a  thief,  he  stilicomfo  t5  himself  therewith,  that  "all  this  came  to 
pitss,  that  the  scriptures  of  the' prophet .  might  be  fulfilled,"  Matt, 
xxvii.  56.  (c)  His  suffering  was  not  only  foretold,  but  also  typified 
by  all  the  trespass-offermgs,  sin-offerings,  sacrifices  of  atonement, 
and  of  slain  beasts,  which  were  shadows  of  him,  Heb.  x.  i.  In  or- 
der to  show  that  he  was  the  body  of  them,  "  he  gave  himself  up  an 
offermg  and  a  sacrifice  to  God,"  Eph-  v.  2.  We  must  also  say  that 
he  suflered,  (d)  to  affonl  a  perfect  example  of  obedience  to  his  Father, 
and  of  holy  patience  ;  for  "  Christ  hath  suffered  for  us,  leavir^  us 
an  example,  that  ye  should  follow  his  steps,"   1  Pet   ii.  21. 

But  the  chief  end  of  his  suffering,  and  of  God's  appointing,  fore- 
teUing  and  typifying  that  he  should  suffer  thus,  was  that  he  might 
by  his  suffering  fully  satisfy  the  justice  of  God  for  the  sins  and  guilt 
of  his  people,  "  that  so  by  his  passion,  as  the  only  propitiatory  sacri- 
fice, he  might  redeem  our  body  and  soul  from  everlasting  damnation, 
andobtain  for  usthe  favor  of  God ^  righteousness  and  eternal  life." 
That  such  a  satisfaction  was  necessary,  we  have  proved  on  the  fifth 
Lord's  dciy.  We  must  now  prove  (1)  against  the  Socinians,  that  he 
hath  by  his  suffering  "  really  "  satisfied  the  justice  of  God  ;  and 
(2)  against  the  Papists,  that  he  hath  satisfied  fully. 

1.  We  say  \hat  the  Son  of  God  hath  by  his  suffering  really  satis- 
fied the  justice  of  God  for  the  sinner.  The  Socinians,  who  reject 
all  those  particulars  in  the  gospel,  that  can  afford  comfort  to  the 
people  of  God,  have  dared  to  deny  this  great  ground  of  salvation 
also  ;  but  the  word  of  God  teacheth  us  this  truth,  and  therefore  we 
•^cleave  to  it  : 

1.  Because  the  suffering  of  Christ  is  put  in  the  stead  of  all  the 
sacrifices  of  atonement  under  the  Old  Testament,  which  atoned 
for  sin  typically.  See  Lev.  iv.  snd  xvi.  Now  it  was  impossible  that 
the  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats  should  take  away  sins  ;  he  neverthe- 
-  less  being  willing  to  reconcile  the  sinner  to  God,  substituted  and  of- 
fered his  body  and  soul  for  a  trespass-offering,  instead  of  those  sacri- 
fices ;  and  thus  "  by  one  offering  hath  perfected  for  ever,  them  that 


XV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Qj  57.  58,  39.  3i5 

iie  sanctified,"  Heb.  x.  4—14.  And  he  thus  really  effected  the 
atonement,  which  the  sacrifices  could  not  accomphsh,  but  which  only 
pointed  to  Christ-  See  John  i.  29, 

2.  Because  the  sins  of  ihe  elect  were  laid  upon  him,  and  punished 
in  him,  that  he  might  take  them  away.  The  ancient  church  fore- 
saw this  long  before  it  came  to  pa^,  when  she  said,  "  Surely  he  hath 
borne  our  grief,  and  carried  our  sorrows.  He  was  wounded  for  our 
transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities :  the  chastistment 
of  our  peace  was  upoa  him,  and  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed.  The 
Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all.  He  was  oppressed, 
when  it  was  required  of  him,"  *  Isaiah  liii.  4 — 7.  Peter  having  re- 
spect to  this,  saith  that  '<  Christ  bore  our  sins  on  the  tree,"  1  Peter 
ii.   24. 

3  The  reality  of  the  satisfaction  appears  still  more,  when  we  con' 
sider  that  liis  sufferings  were  the  ransom  and  ])rice  of  redemption 
for  the  sinner,  who  was  taken  captive  on  account  of  his  guilt.  Be- 
lievers "are  not  redeemed  Avith  corruptible  things,  as  silver  and 
gold  :  but  with  the  precious  blood  of  the  Lam^-,"  1  Peter  i.  18,  19. 
"  He  gave  his  life  and  himself  a  ransom,"  Matt.  xx.  28.  I  Tim.  ii.  6. 

4.  We  add  to  this,  that  Christ  suffered  for  the  elect,  and  in  their 
stead  :  "  God  commendeth  his  love  toward  us,  in  that  while  we  were 
yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us,"  Rom.  v.  8.  "  Christ  was  made  a 
curse  for  us,"  Gal.  iii.  1 3.  So  that  the  sufferings  of  Christ  are  con- 
sidered as  the  sufferings  of  the  elect,  2  Cor.  v.  15.  "  We  judge 
thus,  that  if  one  died  for  all,  then  were  all  dead  :  and  he  died  for 
all." 

.5,  *'  God  declares  his  righteousness  in  the  remission  of  sins 
through  his  blood,"  and  suffering,  Rom.  iii.  25,  26.  How  can  this 
be.  if  he  did  not  satisfy  the  justice  of  God  Oy  his  suffering  ?  for  when 
God  forgives  sin  without  the  satisfaction  of  his  Son,  he  declares  in- 
deed his  grace,  but  not  his  righteousness  ;  and  it  wou'd  not  then  be 
necessary,  that  remissior.  should  be  obtained  by  the  blood  of  Christ. 

6.  If  the  sufferings  of  Christ  were  not  for  satisfaction,  why  did 
God  then  punish  his  guiltless  Son  ?  It  could  not  be  only  to  afford  a 
perfect  example  of  obedience  and  patience,  nor  to  confirm  his  doC^ 
trine  by  his  sufferings,  seeing  any  ordinary  man,  who  was  eminently 
sanctified  by  God,  was  sufficiently  qualified  for  this  ;  but  Peter  show- 
eth  that  "  Christ  suffered  in  the  stead  of  the  unjust,  that  he  might 
bring  us  to  God,"  \  Peter  iii.  18. 

7.  Pinally,  we  say  also  that  Christ  by  his  suffering  delivered  the. 

*  Thi?  is  agreeable  to  ih«  Dutch  transktion. 


8l<i  CHRIST'S  SUFFERINGS,  &c. 

elect  from  eternal  damnation :  for  "  Christ  hath  delivered  us  from 
the  Gurse  of  the  law,  beinj^  made  a  curse  for  us,"  Gal.  iii.  13.  Eph. 
i.  7.  By  his  sufferint;  he  also  obtained  for  them  the  favour  of  God, 
righteousness,  and  eternal  life  :  "  God  made  him  to  be  sin,  that  we 
might  be  made  the  ri^^hteousness  of  God  in  him,"  3  Cor.  v.  21.  I 
Cor.  V.  30.  "  The  gift  of  Gpd  is  eternal  life,  through  Jesus  Christ 
pur  Lord,"  Rom.  vi.  23. 

Whoever  considers  without  prejudice  these,  and  such  proofs  of 
the  doctrine,  that  Christ  huth  really  satisfied  the  justice  of  God  by 
his  sufferinj^  for  sin,  will  be  obliged  to  do  violence  to  himself,  if  he 
will  deny  the  satisfaction.  The  Socinians  indeed  deny  this  great 
truth,  but  it  proceeds  only  from  a  prejudice,  that  Christ  is  not  God, 
coessential  with  the  Father  ;  and  therefore  they  say  that  the  transient 
sufferings  of  one  man  could  not  satisfy  for  so  many  sins  of  such  a 
number  of  men,  who  should  have  been  punished  for  ever.  We  also 
should  say  this,  if  Christ  were  not  more  than  a  mere  man,  but  since 
he  is  also  God  over  all  blessed  for  ever,  and  since  his  blood  is  thus 
the  blood  and  sufferings  of  God,  therefore  his  sufferings  were  of  such 
an  infinite  value,  that  he  could  take  away  all  the  sins  of  all  the  elect 
"  in  one  day,"  Zech.  iii.  9. 

They  deny  th's  truth  also  fro^i  another  prejudice,  to  wit,  they 
look  upon  sins,  as  pecuniary  debts,  and  therefore  say,  that  if  the  suf- 
ferings of  Christ  satisfied  for  sins,  there  can  then  be  no  forgiveness 
nor  grace  shown  to  men.  This  would  he  true,  if  sins  were  pecuniary 
debtb,  which  are  not  forgiven  from  kindness,  when  they  are  paid  : 
but  inasmuch  as  sins  are  debts  that  deserve  punishment,  which  God 
can  exact  of  the  sinner  himself,  therefore  great  grace  is  shown  to 
him,  when  they  are  forgiven  him  on  accoynt  of  a  satisfaction ;  be- 
cause God  demands  this,  pot  of  the  sinner  himself,  but  of  his  Surety, 
and  because  God  will  admit  of  a  surety*  bestows  one  himself,  and 
particularly  his  Son,  and  that  just  for  this,  and  not  for  that  sinner. 

2.  Having  thus  proved  the  reality  of  Christ's  satisfaction  against 
the  Socinians,  we  must  also  prove  the  perfection  of  his  satisfaction 
against  the  Papists.  These  will  have  that  he  satisfied  merely  for 
sins  committed  before  baptism  ;  or  if  he  satisfied  for  all  sins,  that  he 
then  satisfied  only  for  the  guilt,  and  not  for  the  punishment  of  sin  ; 
and  if  he  satisfied  for  any  punishment,  that  it  v/as  only  for  eternal, 
and  not  f«>r  temporal  punishments,  thinking  that  they  themselves 
must  satisfy  for  these  in  this  life  by  afflicting  their  bodies,  and  after 
this  life  in  pm'gatory.     But  the  word  of  God  teacheth  us, 

1.  *'  That  with  one  offering  he  hath  perfected  for  ever  them  that 
fire  sanctified,"  Heb.  x.  14.     If  he  satisfied  only  for  some  sins,  an^ 


XV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  37,  38,  39.  31? 

not  for  guilt,  but  only  for  certain  punishments,  then  he  did  not  per* 
feet  his  delivered  people  with  one  offering  ;  and  so  these  men  con^ 
tradict  the  apostle  to  his  face. 

2.  The  sufferings  of  Christ  were  of  infinite  value,  as  hath  been 
shown  ;  the  Papists  must  also  allow  this,  for  they  say  that  he  could 
redeem  the  whole  world  with  one  drop  of  his  blood.  No^y  to  say 
that  he  hath  not  fully  satisfied,  what  is  it  but  reproaching  him,  and 
his  great  work.  ? 

3.  The  Saviour  himself  said,  "  It  is  finished,"  John  xix.  30.  His 
Father  also  showed  that  he  had  finished  all, things,  when  he  raised 
him  from  the  dead,  and  so  gave  him  an  acquittance,  certifying  that 
he  had  discharged  the  debt,  Acts  ii.  24.  1  Tim.  iii,  16.  1  Peter  iii. 
21.     How  could  all  this  be,  if  he  did  not  satisfy  fully  ? 

4.  Believers  obtain  by  his  suffering  redtmption,  the  favour  of 
God,  righteousness  and  eternal  life,  and  so  all  that  they  need.  How 
can  this  be  if  he  did  not  satisfy  fully  ? 

When  the  apostle  saith.  Cell.  i.  24.  «  I  now  rejoice  in  my  suffer- 
ing  for  you,  and  fill  up  that  which  is  behind  of  the  affliction  of  Christ 
jn  my  fiesh  for  his  body's  sake,  which  is  the  church,"  he  doth  not 
teach  by  these  words  the  imperfection  of  Christ's  satisfaction,  and 
that  he  left  any  punishment  for  us,  that  we  might  satisfy  by  bearing 
it:  for  he  doth  not  say  that  he  suffered  for  himself,  but  for  the 
church,  which  was  nevertheless  not  for  satisfaction,  according  to  1 
Cor.  i.  13,  but  for  her  confirmation  and  edification.  When  he  speaks 
of  that  which  was  behind  of  the  affliction  of  Christ,  he  rr»eans  not 
the  Person  of  Christ,  but  the  church,  which  is  by  virtue  of  ner  union 
with  him  the  mystical  Christ,  l  Cor  xii.  12,  and  therefore  her  afflic- 
tion, which  she  siiffereth  for  his  sake,  is  also  called  tlie  affliction  of 
Christ.  See  all  this,  2  Cor.  i.  5,  6.  "As  the  sufferine^s  of  Christ 
abound  in  us,  so  our  consolation  also  aboundelh  by  t  hrist  And 
whether  we  be  afflicted,  it  is  for  your  consolation  and  salvbiion,  which 
is  effectual  in  the  enduring  of  the  same  sufferings,  which  we  also 
suffer^." 

When  we  say  that  Christ  satisfied  by  his  suffering,  we  do  not  then 
exclude  his  obedience,  but  suppose  that  he  satisfied  by  his  obedience 
also  ;  for  the  law  demands,  in  order  to  a  satisfaction,  not  only  a  bear- 
ing of  the  curse.  Gal.  iii.  10,  but  also  keeping  the  law  by  obedience, 
that  we  may  live,  Rom.  x.  5.  He  suffered  also  in  obedience,  Philip, 
ii.  8«  And  so  "  many  are  made  righteous  by  the  obedience  of  one," 
Rom.  v.  19. 

And  therefore  the  Remonstrants  must  also  be  condemned,  when 
tl]ey  assert  that  Christ  did  not  satisfy  the  justice,  hut  only  the  will  of 


318  eHRIST'S  SUFFERINGS,  8cc. 

God,  who  required  merely  something  of  his  Son,  in  order  that  he 
mij^ht  merit  a  covenant  ef  grace  for  all  men,  of  which  they  must 
accept  by  their  ficiewill,  which  is  sufficiently  able  to  believe ;  for 
Ciirist  did  not  merit  fdith,  according  to  them  :  but  at  this  rate  he 
would  not  have  reconciled  God  with  man,  but  only  rendered  him  recon- 
cileabie,  and  it  would  depend  upon  man  to  reconcile  God  with  him- 
self, and  himself  with  God  actually.  But,  as  we  have  proved  just 
riow,  ilie  bins  of  the  elect  were  punished  in  him  ;  his  sufferings  were 
the  ra  isom  ;  he  was  punished  in  their  stead;  God  forgives  sins 
through  the  blood  of  Christ,  in  order  to  declare  his  ri  hteousness, 
and  so  he  hatli  satisfied  the  justice  of  God,  which  was  also  necessary, 
as  hdtli  been  bhown  on  the  fifth  Lord's  day.  iVJoreover,  "  he  hath 
iuliiilcd  the  rignteousness  of  the  law  in  us,"  Rom.  viii.  4,  and  so 
hath  obtained  redemption,  j^race,  righteousness,  and  therefore 
faith  also  ;  for  faith  is  grace,  Eph.  ii.  8.  Philip,  i.  29. 

E.  We  must  finally  observe  with  respect  to  the  word  "  suffered," 
for  whom  Christ  suffered.  The  instructor  saith  that  he  suffered  the 
wratn  of  God  "  against  the  sins  of  all  mankind  "  He  doth  not  teach 
us  by  these  words  that  Chribt  suffered  for  every  man  in  particular; 
for  he  had  denied  this  in  the  thirteenth  question  ;  but  he  declares 
the  grieviousness  of  Christ's  sufferings,  inasmuch  as  he  sustained 
the  wrath  of  God,  v/hich  was  kindled  against  the  sins  of  all  man- 
kind ;  or  he  shov/s  that  he  sustained  the  wrath  of  God,  not  only  for 
tiie  sins  of  the  Jews,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  all  the  kindreds  of  the 
Gentiles  ;  as  therefore  the  multitude  of  the  delivered  praise  him  for 
**  redeeming  them  to  God  by  his  blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  and  nation,"  Rev.  v.  9.  Add  to  this  1  John  iic 
1.  We  will  not  say-anymore  on  this  subject  at  present,  having 
exhibited  it  more  largely  on  the  twentit:th  question. 

II.  But  why  did  he  suffer  "  under  Pontius,  Pilate?"  This  man 
was  a  heathen,  severe,  and  cruel,  nevertheless  appointed  by  the 
Roman  emperour  governour  of  Judea  ;  he  was  however  deposed  on 
account  of  his  evil  government,  and  banished  to  Vienne  in  Fr^ance, 
xvhere  he  stabbed  himself  to  death.  But  though  he  was  such  an  evil 
man,  nevertheless  the  compilers  of  our  creed  thought  proper  to  in- 
troduce him  here,  not  only  to  evidence  that  we  speak  of  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord,  who  was  born  of  Mary,  and  suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate  ; 
but  also  to  show  that  he  was  the  true  Messiah,  since  it  thus  appear- 
ed, that,  a  heathen  being  judge  of  the  Jews,  ''  the  sceptre  was  depart- 
ed from  Judah,  and  the  ^rihiloh  was  therefore  come,"  according  to 
the  prophecy  of  Jacob,  Gen.  xlii.  10,  as  Augustus  and  Tiberius, 
Roman  emperours,  are  also  mentioned  for  this  reason  by  the  cvan- 


XV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q,  37,  38,  39.  3i? 

Relists,  Luke  ii.  I.  iii.  1.  But  it  is  shown,  that  Christ  suffered  under 
Pontius  Pilate  particularly  to  manifest  »' that  he,  tlough  innocent, 
was  condemned  by  a  temporal  judge."  Jesus  was  pronounced  inno« 
cent  by  Judas,  by  Pilate's  wife,  by  the  centurion,  and  others  :  but 
Pilate  did  this  several  times  as  judge,  See  John  xviii.  38.  xix.  4,  6. 
Luke  xxiii.  14,  15.  Matt,  xxvii  34.  Pilate  however  condemned  him, 
though  he  was  innocent.  The  faith  of  Christians  must  conclude 
hence,  "  that  he  hath  delivered  them  from  the  severe  judgment  of 
God,  to  which  they  were  exposed."  The  reason  is,  because  he  stood 
before  Pilate,  as  their  surety,  who  having  no  guilt  of  his  own,  was 
condemned  on  account  of  theif  guilt,  that  the  judgment  of  God  might 
not  pass  on  them.  Which  we  must  believe  the  rather,  because 
Pilate's  tribunal  was  God's  tribunal,  in  whose  name,  and  by  whose 
judiciary  appointment,  he  was  pronounced  innocent  and  condemned: 
in  this,  and  in  no  other  light  was  the  matter  viewed  by  our  Surety  ; 
for  when  "  Pilate  said  to  him,  Knowest  thou  not  that  I  have  power 
to  crucify  thee,  and  power  to  release  thee  ?  Jesus  answered,  Thou 
coudest  hare  no  power  at  all  against  me,  except  it  were  given  thee 
from  above,"  John  xix.  10,  11. 

IIL  He  suffered  under  this  judge  crucifixion,  the  grievousness 
of  which  we  must  now  consider,  as  our  third  general  head,  and  show 
that  **  there  was  something  more  in  his  being  crucified,  than  if  he 
had  died  any  other  death."  There  were  several  kinds  of  capital 
punishments  among  the  Jews  and  Komans  ;  bat  the  Romans  inflict- 
ed most  commonly  upon  odious  malefactors  the  punishment  of  cru- 
xifixion,  in  which  the  criminal  was  raised  up  on  an  erect  post,  hav- 
ing his  arms  stretched  oiit  upon  a  cross-beam,  and  the  lower  parts 
of  his  body  resting  upon  a  prominence,  his  hands  being  nailed  to 
the  cross-beam,  and  his  feet  below  to  the  post.  This  punishment 
was  indeed  (a)  exceedingly  grievous  and  painful ;  for  it  could  not 
but  be  most  excruciating  to  be  pierced  with  nails  through  the  tender 
sinews,  and  obhged  to  hang  in  this  manner,  until  a  person  either 
died  of  hunger,  or  was  devoured  by  wild  beasts.  The  punishment 
of  crucifixion  was  also  (b)  a  most  shameful  death,  as  it  was  not  a 
Jewish,  but  a  heathen  punishment,  which  they  inflicted,  not  upon  a 
citizen,  but  only  upon  their  slaves.  To  be  obliged  to  hang  naked 
between  heaven  and  earth,  as  unworthy  of  either,  was  sufficient  to 
depress  the  heart  of  the  most  shameless,  and  the  most  stout-hearted* 
The  death  of  the  cross  was  also  (c)  an  accursed  deatb,  yea,  it  was 
accursed  of  God  himself,  Deut.  xxi.  23.  "  He  that  is  hanged  is 
accursed  of  God."  Paul  having  respect  to  this  saith,  "  For  it  is 
written,  Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree/'  Gal.  iii,  IS  To 


5§0,  CHRIST'S  SUFFERINGS,  kt. 

he  a  curse,  and  accursed  is  to  be  devoted  and  given  up  to  destructiohi 
Deut.  vii.  25,  26.  Joshua  vi.  17.  Deut.  xxvii.  15 — 26.  But  how  is 
he  wlio  is  hanged  accursed  of  God  ?  Many  and  various  are  the  opih* 
ions  of  the  learned  upon  this  subject,  which  we  will  not  recite  at 
present,  that  we  may  not  be  too  diffuse  ;  we  will  only  say,  that  he 
"who  is  hanged  is  accursed  of  God,  inasmuch  as  he  is  given  up,  offer- 
ed and  devoted  to  God  and  to  his  vindictive  justice,  for  his  destruc- 
tion, in  order  that  he  may  make  satisfaction  ;  and  therefore  he  who 
is  hanged  is  said,  as  it  were  to  the  honour  of  God,  to  be  a  curse  to 
God,  Deut.  xxi  23.  In  the  Hebrew  it  is  killath  elohimy  a  curse  of 
God,  as  the  sacrifices  are  called  God*s  sacrifices,  because  they  were 
offered  up  to  God,  Psalm  li.  17.  This  is  exceedingly  plain  from 
Numb.  XXV.  4«  "  Israel  joined  himself  unto  Badpeor  :  and  the  anger 
of  the  Lord  was  kindled  against  Israel.  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Moses,  Take  all  the  heads  of  the  people,  and  hang  them  up  to  the 
Lord,  laihovah^  against  the  sun,  that  the  fierce  anger  of  the  I^ord 
may  be  turned  away  from  Israel,"  See  also  the  same,  2  Sam.  xxi.  6, 
y.  And  this  capital  punisliment  was  accursed  of  God  more  than 
any  other,  because  the  malefactor  was  lifted  up  toward  heaven,  the 
habitation  of  God,  like  the  heave-offenngs  ;  so  also  the  burnt  offer- 
ings, and  the  devoted  Jericho  were  sent  up  toward  heaven  by  fire. 
See  Joshua  vi.  \7 — 27.  And  thus  was  the  Lord  Jesus  also  made  a 
curse,  and  truly  a  curse  to  God,  when  he  was  hanged  on  the  cross, 
not  for  his  own  sins,  but  for  the  sins  of  the  elect,  which  the  Lord 
had  laid  upon  him  ;  for  "  he  made  him,  who  knew  no  sin,  to  be  sin, 
for  us  ;"  and  therefore  the  apostle  saith  emphatically,  that  *^  he  bore 
our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,"  I  Peter  ii.  24.  And  so  be- 
lievers are  assured,  "  that  he  took  on  him  the  curse  which  lay  on 
them  ;"  whereby  they  are  also  delivered  from  the  curse  ;  for  "  Christ 
hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for 
us  :  for  it  is  writt'^n.  Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree," 
Gal.  iii.  And  it  was  therefore  also  necessary,  as  likewise  on  account 
of  the  prophecies,  which  foretold  that  "  they  should  pierce  his  hands 
and  his  feet,  and  pierce  him  through,"  Psalm  xxii.  16.  Zech.  xiio 
10.  His  crucifixion  was  necessary  also,  because  it  was  typified  by 
the  heave-offerings,  and  also  by  the  burnt-offerings,  which  were 
ordered  upon  the  wood,  and  offered  up  to  God.  Many  refer 
hither  also  the  brazen  serpent,  which  was  lifted  up  upon  a  polej 
uccording  to  John  iii.  14,  15. 


XV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  37,  38,  39.  ^    521 

APPLICATIOxNe 

If  there  be  any  doctrine  in  the  word  of  God,  which  is  important, 
and  requires  our  serious  and  dili,^ent  improvement,  it  is  the  doctrine 
of  the  suffering  of  Christ.     And  therefore/ 

1.  See  only  the  grievousness  of  his  suffering.     Piiate,  after  insult- 
ing him  in  a  cruel  manner   by  his   oifcers,   and   clothing  him   in  a 
ridiculous  habit,  showed  him  thus  to  the  Jews,  and  said,  "  Behold 
the  man,"  John  xix.  5.    But  do  ye  also  go  near  hiiti,  and  follow  him 
from  his  manger  to  his  cross,  and  see  how  he  was  contemned,  how  the 
nation  abhorred  him  ;  how  he  was  despised  and  rejected  of  men,  a 
man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief.    One  while  Herod  would 
slay  him,  another  while  the  Nazarenes  would  cast  him  down  head- 
long from  the  brow  of  their  hill,  and  often  the  Jews  took  up  stones 
to  stone  him :  now  he  was  reviled  as  a  Samaritan,  who  had  a  devil, 
and  who  cast  out  devils  by  the  prince  of  devils,  and  then  he  was  re- 
proached as  a  glutton  and  a  wine-bibber,  a  friend  of  publicans  and 
sinners,  yea,  even  as  a   blasphemer:  and  to  what  a  length  did  their 
scoffing  and  mocking  proceed  !  when  he  was  treated  in  the  hall  of 
Caiaphas  and  of  Pilate  as  a  fool,  and  when  he  was  reproached  to  the 
utmost  upon  the  cross  with  a  wagging  of  their  heads  by  the  officers, 
the  chief  priests,  the  common  people,  yea,  even  by  one  of  the  thieves, 
who  suffered  the  same  condemnation  with  him.     It  was  not  there- 
fore so  strange,  that  he  complained,  "  Reproach   hath   broken   my 
heart,"  Psalm  lix.  20.  And  how  grievous  was  it  to  him,  to  be  bound 
with  chains,   to  be  dragged  from  one  tribunal  to  another,  to  be  buf- 
feted, crowned  with  thorns,  cruelly  scourged,  laden  with  his  cross, 
and  nailed  to  it  by  his  hands  and  feet,  yet  all  this  he  might  have 
endured  ;  but  when  the  powers  of  hell  also   attacked  him,  while  he 
was  in  a  profound  separation  from  God,  whose  sword  of  veageance 
smote  him  on  account  of  the  sins  of  the  elect,  this  was  almost  intol- 
erable to  him  :  this  filled  him  with  such  anguish,  caused  his   sweat 
to  fail  down  from  him,  like  great  drops  of  blood,  and  forced  him  to 
complain  so  bitterly,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 
me."    And  what  rendered  his  suffering  still  more  grievous  was,  that 
every  one  attacked  him,  high  and  low,  learned  and  uTjJearned,  Jews 
and  Gentiles,  God,  the  devil,  and  men,  friends  and  enemies  were 
all  against  him,  "  every  one  hid  as  it  were  his  face  from  him,"  Isaiah 
liii.  3.     None  can  imagine  that  he  was  so  stout  and  unfeeling,  that 
he  knew  but  little  of  this ;  no,  he  was  a  man  of  like  passions  with 
us  J  his  bitter  complaints  show  the  painful  sensations  of  his  heart, 

Vv 


3:*.     •  CHRIST'S  SUFf^ERlNGS,  Stc. 

and  how  ?;;nevous  his  sufferings  were  to  him.  See,  believers,  so  hard 
was  your  Jesus  beset,  he  who  is  the  desire  of  your  souls,  the  delight 
of  your  eyes,  the  joy  of  your  hearts,  the  object  of  all  the  outj^oinj^s 
of  your  mi»:ds,  and  your  only  and  perfect  satisfaction.  Doth  it  not 
affect  your  hearts,  that  your  dearly  Beloved,  your  Bridepjroom  and 
Husuund,  suffered  so  {;rievously  ?  a  heurt  of  stone  inij2jht  relent 
at  this. 

2  But  ye,  who  seek  not  yet  the  suffering  Jesus  who  pursue  your 
happiness  in  your  own  works,  to  whom  Jesus  is  not  yet  precious  ia 
his  sufferings,  who  mind  earthly  things,  and  are  thus  enemies  of  the 
cross  of  Christ ;  who  once  seemed  to  have  chosen  his  side,  but  have 
again  loA'ed  the  present  world,  and  do  thus  crucify  the  Son  of  God 
afresJi,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame  ;  who  v/ithstand  the  people 
of  Jesus,  and  therefore  Jesus  himself,  see  in  these  sufferings  of  Jesus 
what  will  betide  you  also  :  for  ^'  if  these  things  were  done  in  the 
green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  ?"  Luke  xxiii.  31.  If  the 
Son  ot  God  experienced  so  much  wo,  when  he  was  guiltless,  and 
had  done  all  things  well,  how  will  ye,  O  vile  wretches,  endure,  when 
he  will  attack  you  not  as  a  man,  but  when  he  will  stir  up  all  his 
wrath,  and  oring  you  to  his  seat,  that  he  may  accuse  you  of  all  your 
misdemeanours,  your  sedition  against  him,  your  blasphemy,  re- 
proaching and  transgressing  of  his  law  ;  that  he  may  condemn  you 
as  guilty,  and  send  you  away  as  accursed,  when  he  will  say  to  you, 
standing  en  his  left  hand,  "  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  ever- 
lasting fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,"  Matt.  xxv.  41. 
How  will  ye  then  be  crucified  ?  for  "  your  worm  shall  not  die,  and 
your  fire  shall  not  be  quenched,"  Mark  ix.  44.  Either  ye  must  suf- 
fer, or  Jesus  for  you.  Since  now  ye  evidence  by  your  behaviour, 
that  ye  have  never  sought  him  in  truth,  ye  have  therefore  no  proof, 
that  he  suffered  for  you  :  therefore  be  anxious  and  concerned,  look 
unto  him,  that  ye  may  be  saved,  He  stretched  out  his  hands,  pierced 
with  the  nails,  to  you,  and  invites  you  to  come  unto  him. 

3,  But  with  respect  to  you,  O  believers,  to  wiiom  sin  is  so  bitter, 
your  heaviest  cross,  who  condemn  and  detest  yourselves  on  account 
of  It ;  who  have  sought  all  your  salvation  in  his  sufferings,  and  who 
hate  and  curse  sin,  as  a  crucified  one,  see  from  what  this  grievous 
'oufftring  of  Christ  pi'oceeded  ;  will  ye  be  angry  with  the  wicked  Jews 
and  Gentiles  ?  or  will  ye  complain  of  the  Lord  for  causing  his  be- 
loved Son  and  your  dear  Jesus  to  suffer  in  this  manner  ?  No,  look 
at  yourselves  ;  your  way,  and  your  doings  procured  these  things  to 
him,  and  Miade  it  so  bitter  to  h-m,  and  that  it  reached  to  his  heart, 
Ye  were  the  seditious  persons,  who  broke  his  yoke,  and  burst  his 


XV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  37,  58,  39,  325 

bonds  ;  ye,  by  your  wicked  dispositions,  opinions,  and  conduct,  bias- 
phieined  God,  your  iniquities  stirred  up  the  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and 
ali  the  -^yrath  of  God  against  the  Son  of  his  icve.  It  behooves  you 
to  see  this,  and  to  behold  in  it  the  dreadful  nature  of  sin,  it  ou^ht  to 
incense  you  against  it,  and  induce  you  to  take  vengeance  of  it,  and 
to  crucify  it ;  yea,  this  should  cause  your  iiearts  to  bleed  for  shame 
and  grief,  that  ye,  even  ye  procured  these  grievous  tiuiferir.gs  to 
Christ.  He  foretold  this,  "  that  ye  should  look  on  hirn,  whora  ye 
had  pierced,  and  mourn  for  him,  as  ona  mourneth  for  his  only  son^ 
and  be  in  bitterness  for  hirn,  as  one  that  is  in  biiterness  fur  his  first- 
born," Zech.  xii.  iO. 

4.  Look  deeper  into  this  matter,  and  see  the  efficacy  of  Christ's 
sufferings  for  you,  in  your  stead,  and  for  your  advantage.  By  his 
sufferings  Ai  your  sins  have  been  taken  away  in  one  day  ;  your  sins 
and  iniquities,  when  they  shall  be  sought,  shall  not  be  found ;  when 
ye  were  enemies,  ye  v/ere  reconciled  lo  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son: 
he  harh  redeemed  your  body  and  soul  from  eternal  damnation  by 
h;s  passion,  as  the  only  atoning  sacrifice  :  God  will  be  no  more 
angry  with  you,  nor  rebuke  you ;  in  him  ye  have  redemption  through 
his  blood,  even  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his 
grace  :  by  his  suffering  he  hath  obtained  for  you  an  everlasting 
righteousness.  This  is  youi  hope,  your  joy  and  boasting ;  "  God 
forbid  that  ye  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,"  Gal.  vi.  14.  Bathe,  swim,  delight  yourselves  in  his  suffei- 
ing,  yea,  ye  shou  d  wake  and  sleep  in  it,  that  ye  may  inhale  the  fla- 
vour and  efficacy  of  it,  with  the  spouse.  Song  1.  13.  <»  A  bundle  of 
myrrh  is  my  well-beloved  unto  rae  ;  he  shall  lie  all  night  betwixt 
my  breasts."  Behold  therefore  the  sufferings  of  Christ  for  you,  and 
in  your  stead,  with  Paul,  Gal.  ii.  20.  •<  I  am  crucified  with  Christ, 
and  1  live  ;  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  iiveth  in  ftie  ;  and  the  life  which  I 
now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved 
me,  and  gave  himself  for  me."  To  cast  away  your  hope  with  re- 
spect to  this,  after  so  many  evidences  of  iJs  love,  and  the  witnessing 
of  his  Spirit,  upon  every  casual  thought,  deprives  your  souls  of  the 
bweetness,  relish  and  efncacy  of  Christ's  sufferings. 

5.  Open  your  eyes,  that  ye  may  see  how  mucii  of  God  ye  can 
discover  in  this.  The  inconceivable  and  manifold  wisdom  of  God  is 
exhibited  to  you  here,  in  devising  this  way  of  saving  you  by  the 
grievous  sufferings  of  his  Son,  when  it  was  impossible  for  any  created 
understanding  to  contrive  this  proper  way.  The  supreme  power  of 
God  is  discovered  here,  in  accomplishing  it  against  all  the  power  of 
the  irates  of  heil  :  this  is  the  sum  of  the  ivhole  gospel,  that  '■'  Christ 


52i  CHRISTS  SUFFERINGS,  &c. 

is  the  po'.ver  of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God,"  TCor.  i.  24.  But 
that  which  shines  forth  no  less  in  this  suffering,  is  the  unfathomable 
love  of  God  and  of  his  Son ;  that  God  surrendered  his  Son,  yea, 
thai  the  Son  surrendered  himsel!  to  such  bitter  sufferings  for  such 
vile  sinners  as  ye  are  :  how  ardent  was  the  love  that  urged  him  lo 
this  !  could  his  love  have  manifested  itself  to  you  in  a  stronger  man- 
ner ?  Christians,  stand  still  awhile  here,  ancJ  let  your  souls  endeav- 
our to  contemplate  this  love,  and  be  assured,  that  it  will  overwhelm 
you  with  wonder  and  joy  :  th^efore  the  apostle  said,  Eph.  iii.  18,  19, 
"  That  ye  may  be  able  to  comprehend  with  all  the  saints,  what  is 
the  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth,  and  height,  and  to  kiow  the  love 
of  Christ,  which  passeth  knowledge,  that  ye  may  be  filled  with  all 
the  fulness  of  God." 

6.  Look  at  these  sufferings,  that  ye  may  imitate  Christ  in  his  holy 
suffering  :  "  For  hereunto  were  ye  called,  because  Christ  also  suf- 
fered for  us,  leaving  us  an  example,  that  ye  should  follow  his  steps,'* 
1  Peter  ii.  21.  Jesus  suffered  in  obedience  'to  his  Father,  Philip. 
ii.  8.  "  Not  my  will,  but  thy  will  be  done,"  was  his  language. 
He  suffered  with  meekness  ;  "  When  he  was  reviled,  he  reviled  not 
agam,  and  when  he  suffered,  he  threatened  not,"  1  Peter  ii.  21.  Yea,  he 
prayed  for  his  enemies,  who  crucified  him,  Lukexxiii.  54.  He  suffer- 
ed also  very  patiently  :  <'  He  was  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter, 
and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb-  so  he  opened  not  his 
mouth,"  Isaiah  liii.  7.  He  suffered  also  from  special  love  to  his  peo- 
ple, Eph.  V.  2.  Behold  this  love  of  Jesus  ought  also  to  manifest  it- 
self in  your  mortal  bodies,  in  your  whole  conversation  as  well  as  in 
y cur  suffering.  Doth  the  Lord  subject  you  to  suffering,  "keep 
silence,  because  he  hath  inflicted  it  upon  you,"  Lam.  ili.  28.  Are 
ye  injured,  be  not  displej^ed,  render  not  evil  for  evil,  insist  not  upon 
your  utmofit  right,  but  abate  somewhat  of  it ;  consider  v/hat  Jesus 
hath  done  for  you;though  ye  had  injured  him  to  the  utmost,  he  for- 
gave you.  See  how  Paul  exhorts  you.  Coll.  iii.  12,  13,  "Put  on 
therefore,  as  the  elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved,  bowels  of  mercies, 
kindness,  humbleness  of  mind,  meekness,  lomgsuffering  ;  forbearing 
one  another,  if  any  man  have  a  quarrel  against  any  :  even  as  Christ 
forgave  you,  so  do  ye  also."  Read  also,  Eph.  iv.  31  32.  v.  1,  2. 
Doth  the  hand  of  the  Lord  press  you  with  any  heavy  cross,  open 
not  your  mouth  to  reprove  his  way  ;  all  that  God  doth  is  glory  and 
majesty  :  Jesus  suffered  more  grievously  than  ye  do,  and  he  endured 
it :  ye  must  "  suffer  with  him  that  ye  may  be  glorified  with  him," 
Rom.  vii.  17.  Doth  the  Lord  expose  you  to  the  danger  of  losing  your 
honour,  property,  ease  aud  life  for  his  name's  sake  j  suffer  it  from 


XV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  37,  38,  39.  SS-f 

love  to  him,  and  do  not  shrink  from  it,  as  he  also  suffered  for  you  in 
the  most  grievous  manner  from  love  to  you.  So  that  great  follower 
of  Christ  would  conduct,  Acts  xxi.  13,  "I  am  ready,  not  to  be  bound 
only,  but  also  to  die  at  Jerusalem  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 
So  also  the  other  apostles  conducted  ;  yea,  "  they  rejoiced  that  they 
were  counted  worthy  to  suffer  shame  for  his  name,"  Acts  v.  41. 

7.  Look  at  this  suffering  for  your  support ;    for  this  suffering  hath 
taken  away  the  wrath  of  God,  and  the  curse  from  your  sufferings. 
Doth  he  smite,  it  is  only  love  ;   "  For  whom   the   Lord   loveth,  he 
chasteneth,  and  he  scourgeth  every  son  whom   he  receiveth,"   Heb, 
xii.  6.     Yea,  Jesus  knoweth  by  experience  what  ye  feel,  yea,  he  suf- 
fers with  you :  For  we  have  not  an   high   priest,   which   cannot   be 
touched   with  the  feeling  of  our  infiimities  ;  but  was    in    all   points 
tempted  like  as  we  are,   yet  without  sin,"  Heb.  iv.  15.     ii.   17,    18. 
Are  ye  grieved  on  account  of  your  iniquities,  on  account  of  the  se- 
vere judgment  of  God,  and  on  account  of  the  curse  of  the  law  ;  the 
Lord  Jesus  hath  fully    satisfied  for  all  your  iniquities,  and  therefore 
God  will  declare  his  righteousness  in  the  remission  of  your   sins,'* 
Rom.  iii.  25,  26.    1  John  i.  9,     Jesus  was  condemned,  though"  inno- 
cent, and  was  made  a  curse  for  you,  that  ye  might  be  delivered  from 
the  severe  judgments  of  God  and  from  the  curse  :  ''There  is  there- 
fore no  condemnation  to   them  which    are  in   Christ  Jesus  ;  "who' 
shall  lay  any  thing  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect  ?    it  is  God  that  jus- 
tifieth  ;   who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?     It  is  Christ  that  died,"  Rom- 
viii.  1,  33,  34.     Did  he  pray  to  his  Father  to  forgive  them  who  cru- 
cified him  the  evil  which  they  did  to  him,  Luke  xxiii.  34  ;  will  he 
not  then  pray  for  you,  when   "  he  is  your  advocate  with  the  Father, 
and  when  he  is  a  propitiation  for  your  sins  ?"    1   John  ii.  1,2.     Or 
are  ye  concerned  about  your  bodily  wants,  notknowing  what  ye  shall 
eat,  or  what  ye  shall  drink,  or  wherewithal  ye«,shall  be  clothed?  do 
ye  not  know,  "  that  if  God  spared  not  his   own  Son,   but   delivered 
liim  up  for  you  all,  he  will  also  freely  give  you  all  things  with  him  ?*' 
Jesus,  even  while  he  suffered,   provided    for  his  mother,  when   he 
commended  her  to  his  beloved  disciple,  John  xix  26,  27,  will  he  not 
then,  now  he   is    m   heaven,  his  full   treasury,   provide  for   you  ?" 
Cast  then  all  your  care  upon  jiim,  for  he  careth  for  you,"   1  Peter,  v. 
17.     Ye  are  indeed  as  dear  to  him  as  his  mother  was,  Matt.  xii.  50, 
Do  ye  often    consider  how    ye   shall  pass    through    this  howling 
wilderness  to  him  in  heaven .?  he,  who  when  he  was  under  the  penal 
curse,  said  to  the  converted  thief,  "  To  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in 
paradise,"  Luke  xxiii.  43,  even  "  he  is  gone  before  you,  to  prepare 
a  place  for  you,"  which  when  he  hath  done,  **  he  will  take  you  to 


326  CHRIST'S  SUFFERINGS,  &c. 

himself,  that  yc  may  be  where  he  is,"  John  xiv.  2,  3.  Is  it  matter 
of  sorr'ow  to  you,  that  God  delivers  you  up  to  desertions,  God  doth 
not  however  do  this  ii>  his  anger,  which  Jesus  suffered  for  yo  i,  when 
he  complained,  '*  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  tiiou  forsaken  me  ?" 
Matt,  xxvii.  47.  Neither  will  it  be  always  thus  with  you,  for  a  time 
is  coming,  when  ye  shall  be  for  ever  with  the  Lord  :  ye  shall  not 
then  be  obliged  to  complain,  like  Jesus  on  the  cross, ''  1  thirst,"  John 
xix.  28.  F©r  since  Jesus  hath  thirsted  for  you,  therefore  "  ye  shall 
not  thirst  any  more  ;  for  the  Lamb,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne,  shall  feed  you,  and  shall  lead  you  to  living  fountains  of  water; 
and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  your  eyes,"  Rev.  vii.  16,  17. 
Do  ye  think  that  all  would  be  well  with  you,  if  ye  were  not  so  defi- 
cient in  sanctificat'on,  and  did  not  come  short  so  much  ?  yea,  it 
would  indeed  be  exceeeingly  ill  with  you,  if  your  sanctification  should 
be  your  righteousness  before  God  :  but  bt:hol(i,  Jesus  hath  fulfilled 
the  righteousness  of  the  law  for  you,  and  proclaimed  before  the 
whole  world,  *'  It  is  finished,"  John  xix.  30,  And  he  hath  thus 
cancelled  the  bond,  **  having  nailed  it  to  the  cross,"  and  hath  obtain- 
ed that  "  the  righteousness  of  the  law  should  be  fulfilled  in  you,  and 
that  ye  should  be  perfect  in  him,"  Rom.  viii.  3,  4.  Coll.  ii.  10 — 15j 
and  *'  he  is  also  made  sanctification  to  you,"  1  Cor.  i.  30.  There 
remains  nothing  for  you  to  do,  but  to  forget  that  which  is  behind, 
and  to  reach  forth  to  that  which  is  before,  pressing  toward  the  mark 
for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  that,  laying 
yourselves  as  it  were  upon  his  cross,  ye  may  pour  forth  your  souls 
with  him  in  death,  and  commend  them  into  the  hands  of  his  Father, 
as  he  also  did,  Luke  xxiii,  46.  And  truly,  "  Blessed  are  the  dead 
which  die  in  the  Lord,  from  henceforth  ;  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that 
Ihey  may  rest  trom  their  labours  j  and  their  works  do  follow  them.'' 
Amen. 


(  327  ) 


CHRIST'S  DEATH,  BURIAL 


AND 


DESCENT   INTO    HELL 


XVI.  LORDS  DAY, 


1  Cor.  XV.  3,  4.  For  I  delivered  unto  you  first  of  all,  that  which  I 
also  received,  how  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins,  according  to  the 
scriptures,  and  that  he  was  buried. 

Q,  40.  TVAy  was  it  necessary  for  Christ  to  humble  himself  even  to 
death  ? 

A.  Because  with  respect  to  the  justice  and  truth  of  God,  satisfac- 
tion for  our  sins  could  be  made  no  otherwise  than  by  the  death  of 
the  Son  of  God. 

^.41.   Why  was  he  also  buried? 

A    Tliereby  to  prove  that  he  was  really  dead. 

Q.  42.  Since  then  Christ  died  for  us^  why  must  we  also  die  ? 

A.  Our  death  is  not  a  satisfaction  for  our  sins,  but  only  an  abol- 
ishing of  sin,  and  a  passage  into  eternal  life. 

.Q  43.  What  further  heripfit  do  we  receive  from  the  sacrifice  and 
death  of  Christ  on  the  cross  ? 

A.  That  by  virtue  thereof,  our  old  man  is  crucified,  dead  and 
buried  with  him,  that  so  the  corrupt  inclinations  of  the  flesh  may  no 
more  reign  in  us ;  but  that  we  may  offer  ourselves  to  him  a  sacrifice 
of  thanksgiving. 


328  CHRIST'S  DEATH,  BURIAL,  &c. 

Q.  44.  JV/iy  is  there  added,  <'  He  descended  into  hell?" 
A.  That  in  my  greatest  temptations,  I  may  be  assured,  and  wholly 
comfort  myself  in  this,  that  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ  by  his  inexp'-essi- 
kle  anguish,  pains,  tcrrours,  and  hellish  agonies,  in  which  he  was 
plunged  during  all  his  sufferings,  but  especially  on  the  cross,  hath 
delivered  me  from  the  anguish  and  torments  of  hell. 

JLt  is  related  of  Samson,  that  "  the  dead  which  he  slew  at  his  death, 
•were  more  than  they  which  he  slew  in  his  life,"  Judges  xvi  30.  It 
was  wonderful,  that  after  the  death  of  Elisha,  when  a  dead  man  was 
cast  into  his  grave,  he  was  restored  to  life  upon  touching  the  bones 
of  the  prophet,  2  Kings  xiii.  20,  21,  but  it  was  still  more  wonderful, 
not  only  that  one  man  destroyed  so  many  men  in  his  life,  but  also 
that  he  slew  still  more  in  his  death,  when  he  lost  his  own  life.  We 
do  not  read,  that,  besides  those  whom  he  smote  hip  and  thigh,  he 
slew  more  than  a  thousand  and  thirty  men  in  his  life  ;  but  when  he 
was  brought  by  the  Philistines  into  their  idol  temple,  which  was  full 
of  men  and  women,  and  of  the  lords  of  the  Phihstines,  and  upon  the 
roof  of  which  there  were  also  three  thousand  men  and  women,  he 
bowed  the  two  pillars,  upon  which  the  house  stood,  and  it  fell  upon 
himself,  and  upon  all  the  people  ;  and  so  the  dead  whom  he  slew 
at  his  death,  were  more  than  they  whom  he  slew  in  his  life. 

Truly  this  is  a  beautiful  emblem,  if  not  a  type  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
v/hose  conception,  and  birth  were  announced  by  an  angel,  as  well  as 
Samson's ;  Jesus   was  an  Israelite,  as  well  as  Samson  :  Jesus  was 
also  like   Samson  a  Judge  in  Israel :  was  Samson  strong,  our  Jesus 
13  not  less  so,  for  he  is  the  mighty  God  ;  did  Samson  surrender  him- 
self willingly  to  death,  Jesus  did  so  likewise,  John  x.  18.    Were  the 
dead  whom  Samson  slew  at  his  death,  more  than  they  whom  he  slew 
in  his  life,  Jesus  also  slew  more  by  his  death,  than  in  his  life.     It  is 
true,  he  never>  on  account  of  his  meekness,  destroyed  any  man  with 
a  bodily  death,  though  he  once  smote  to  the  ground  with  a  word 
those   wicked  men,    who   came   to  take  him ;   but,   which  required 
more  strength,  he  slew  many  spiritually  "  by  the  breath  of  his  lips," 
Isaiah  xi.  4,  when  he  convniced  them  of  their  wickedness,  and  con- 
demned them  to  death,  so  that  they  could  not  alledge,  in  vindication 
of  themselves  more  thrai  the  dead,   and  many  died  to  themselves  by 
conversion  ;  although  he  slew  so  many  in  his  life,  he  slew  still  more 
at  his  death  ;  for  by  his  death  he  slew  the  law,  and   caused  all  the 
elect  to  die  to  themselves  and  to  the  law,  Rom.  \i.  6,  5.    "  He  abol- 
ished death  itself,"  2  Tim.  i.  10.-  Yea,  *'by  his  death  he  destroyed 


XVI.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  40—44  329 

htm  that  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil,"  Heb.  ii.  14, 
By  the  power  of  his  death  our  old  man  is  crucified  with  him,  dead 
and  buried,  as  it  is  said  in  the  sixteenth  Lord's  day  and  foriythird 
question.  Christ's  humble  incarnation  and  his  suffcrini^  on  the  cross 
htiving  been  spoken  of  in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  Lord's  days, 
the  three  last  degrees  of  his  huniihation,  to  wit,  his  death,  burial,  and 
descent  into  hell,  are  now  treated  of  for  ou«^  information* 

In  order  that  we  may  avoid  too  many  subdivisions,  we  will  accor- 
ding to  the  number  of  the  live  questions  in  this  Lord's  day,  attend 
also  to  five  general  heads. 

I.  The  reasons  of  the  necessity  of  Christ's  death,  Q.  40. 

II,  The  reasons  of  his  burial,  Q.  4L 

IIL  The    refutation   of  a  pretended   reason   from   our  death 
against  the  death  of  Christ,  as  a  satisfaction,  Q.  42. 

IV.  The  benefits  of  Christ's  death,  Q,  43. 

V.  Why  it  is  said  that  Christ  descended  into  hell,  Q.  44. 

I.  Our  first  general  head  contains  the  reasons  why  the    death  of 
Christ  was  necessary,  for  so    it   is  asked   in  the    fortieth   question, 
•<  Why  was  it  necessary   for  Christ  to  humble  himself  even    unto 
death  ?"     It  is  here  supposed  that    he  was   dead  ;  which  we,   since 
we  have  many  other  weighty    matters    to   observe,   and   intend   to 
abide  here  strictly  by  the  instructor,  do  also  presuppose  ;  and  partic- 
ularly that  Christ  suffered  a  real,  painful,  and  bloody  death  ,  although 
he  died  being  guiltless^  and  willingly,  and  yet  necessarily :  but   that 
which  is  of  the  principal  importance  is,  whether  he  was  obliged  to 
humble  himself  even  to  death,  in  order   to  make    satisfaction,    and 
whether  a  single  drop  of  his  blood  was  not  si^fficient  to  deliver   all 
mankind,  as  the  Papists  imagine,  that  they  may  lay  up   whatever  he 
suffered  more  than  a  drop  of  blood,  as  a  treasure,  out  of  which  the 
pope  may  dispense  so  many  indulgences.     In  opposition  to  which 
v^e  teach  that  one  drop  of  his  blood  was  not  sufficient  to  make  satis- 
faction, but  that  he  was  obliged  to  humble  himself  even  unto   death 
for  this  purpose.     We  might  adduce   many  reasons  for  this,  as  that 
the  covenant  of  grace,  in  which  redemption  and 'forgiveness  of  sins 
are  promised,  is  a  testament,  which  he  was  obliged  to  confirm  by  his 
death,  Heb.  ix.  15,  16,  17,  that   he  was  obliged  to   obey  his  Father, 
who  had  ordered  him  to  die,  Philip,  ii.  8,  that  he  had  promised   his 
Father  this,  Psalm  xl.  6,  7,  8,  that  his   ardent  and  supreme  love  to 
the  elect  urged  him  so  far,  Psalm  Ixix.  9.  John  xv.  13,  and  that,  if  it 
had  not  been  necessary,  his  Father  would  not  have  subjected  him  to 
death.    But  that  we  may  abide  by  the   instructor,   we  say  that 

Xx 


33d  CHRIST'S  DEATH,  BURIAL,  &c. 

he  was  obliged  to  humble  himself  to  death  in   order  to   satisfy,  &r 
two  reasons  ; 

1.  Berau':e  the  justice  of  God  required  it  t  for  man  had  by  sin  in- 
jured, and,  sit  were,  corrupted  the  majesty  of  God  ;  saying  with 
his  actions  that  he  was  not  God,  that  he  was  not  glorious,  and  that 
he  oug'ht  not  to  be  obeyed  :  now  the  justice  of  God  demands,  ac- 
cording to  tlie  law  of  retribution,  that  man  should  also  be  corrupted 
by  death,  and  thus  "receive  in  himself  th?t  recompence  of  his  error 
that  was  meet,"  Rom-  i.  27.  The  law  in  which  God  has  expressed 
his  demand,  declares  him  also  to  be  guilty  of  death,  Gen.  ii.  17. 
Rom.  vi.  23,  as  the  Gentiles  likewise  know  by  the  law  written  upon 
their  hearts,  "  the  judgment  of  God,  that  they  which  commit  such 
things  are  worthy  of  death,"  Rom.  i.  32.  Now  since  the  Son  of 
God  was  become  the  surety  of  the  sinner,  in  order  to  satisfy  for  him, 
according  to  Job.  xxxiii.  24.  Psalm  xl.  6,  7,  8.  Heb.  x.  4 — 9. 
Jer.  XXX.  2 1  ;  therefore  sin  could  not  be  atoned  for  in  any  other 
■way  than  by  the  death  of  the  Son  of  God.  Further,  he  was  obliged 
to  humble  himself  to  death,  in  order  to  satisfy, 

2.  Because  the  truth  of  God  required  it ;  for  it  was  foretold,  that 
he  should  die  for  the  sins  of  the  elect,  Isaiah  liii.  8.  "  For  he  was 
cut  off  out  of  the  land  of  the  living:  for  the  transgression  of  my 
people  was  he  stricken,"  vrs.  10.  «  It  pleased  the  Lord  to  ^bruise 
him,  he  hath  put  him  to  grief;  when  thou  shalt  make  his  soul  an 
offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see  his  seed,"  vrs.  12.  «He  poured  out 
his  soul  unto  death  ;  and  he  was  numbered  with  the  transgressors, 
and  he  bore  the  sins  of  many."  It  was  also  typified,  and  therefore 
sealed,  that  he  should  die,  in  ord'r-r  to  make  satisfaction,  as  well  by 
the  slaying  of  the  paschal  lamb:  "  For  even  Christ  our  passover  is 
sacrificed  for  us,"  I  Cor.  v.  7,  as  by  all  the  sacrifices  of  slain  beasts  : 
for  he  gave  himself  a  sacrifice  to  God,"  Eph.  v.  2.  Now  he  could 
not  do  this,  unless  he  humb'ed  himself  to  death  ;  for  the  scripture 
cannot  be  broken.  And  therefore  he  would  not  be  rescued,  either 
by  Peter,  or  by  the  angels  from  death,  saying,  "  How  then  shall  the 
scriptui-es  be  fulfilled,  that  thus  it  must  be  ?"  Matt.  xxvi.  54.  And 
so  we  see  in  what  sense  the  anostle  saith,  1  Cor.  xv.  3,  «  That 
Christ  died  for  our  sins,  according  to  the  scriptures. 

II.  But  Christ,  after  he  had  died  on  the  cross,  did  not  remain 
hanging  on  it,  to  be  consumed  by  the  air,  or  to  be  devoured  by  the 
fowls  of  heaven,  or  the  wild  beasts  of  the  field,  like  other  crucified 
per~,ons,  but  he  was  buried.  We  show  upon  other  occasions  by 
whom,  where,  when,  in  what  manner,  and  in  whose  presence  he  was 
buried,  what  are  the  consequences  of  his  burial,  and  how  long  he  re- 


XVr.  LORD'3  DAY.  Q.  10— 44,.  331 

inained  in  the  grave.*  We  shall  now  treat  only  of  the  reasons, 
"  why  he  was  buried,"  accoi  ding  to  the  forty-first  question.  We 
need  not  inquire  here  why  his  friends  buried  him  :  they  did  this 
from  special  affection,  to  preserve  Inm  from  further  improper  treat- 
ment, and  against  the  day  of  his  resurrection,  whetiier  the  last  day, 
or  the  third  day,  agreeably  to  his  prediction,  in  proportion  to  the 
weakness,  or  strength  of  their  faith.  But  that  which  we  must  chief- 
ly consider  here,  is,  what  was  the  reason  and  end  proposed  by  God 
in  this  burial,  why  he  appointed  that  his  ton  should  be  buried.  The 
reason  was  not,  that  he  might,  like  others,  see  corruption,  s.nce  this 
was  contrary  to  his  steadfast  hope,  expressed  in  the  sixteenth 
Psalm;  neither  can  we  think  tnat  ne  was  buriej,  that  he  might  as 
an  antitype  of  the  sabbath  day,  rest  in  the  grave  on  the  sabbath,  and 
thus  abolish  the  fourth  commandment  ;  for  we  cannot  discover  any 
proof  of  t!)is  opinion.     But  he  was  buried, 

1.  ••  Thereby  to  prove  that  he  was  really  dead"  Christians  have 
the  greatest  concern  in  knowing  tnat  he  was  really  dead,  because 
they  cannot  otherwise  know  whether  he  fully  satisfied  ;  and  if  tiiey 
do  not  know  this,  they  cannot  become  partakers  of  his  satisfaction. 
Therefore  his  death  and  burial  are  dehvered  as  two  fundamental 
points  of  the  doctrine  of  faith,  1  Cor.  xv.  3,  4.  There  could  not  be 
a  stronger  proof,  that  he  was  really  dead,  than  that  he  was  buried: 
for  we  do  not  bury  the  living,  but  the  dead  ;  at  least  in  an  ordinary 
judicial  process,  such  as  was  holden  with  Christ,  the  living  are  not 
buried,  but  only  the  dead.  His  friends  also  loved  him  too  well  to 
thrust  hmi  into  the  grave  alive.  And  his  judge  would  not  consent 
that  he  should  be  buried,  before  he  was  well  assured  that  he  was 
dead,  Mark  xv.  44,  45.     He  was  buried  also, 

2.  Because  it  was  foretold,  Isaiah  liii.  9.  <*  He  made  his  grave 
with  the  wicked,  and  was  with  the  rich  in  his  death  ;  his  soul  should 
not  be  left  in  hell,"  that  is,  the  grave,  "  to  see  corruption,"  Psalm 
xvi.  10.  Sec  Acts  xiii.  35,  36,  37.  Therefore  he  should  enter  into 
the  grave  by  a  burial ;  the  Saviour  himself  foretold  it,  Matt.  xii.  40, 
"  As  Jonas  was  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  whale's  belly,  so 
shall  the  Son  of  man  be  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of 
the  earth."  The  scriptures  ought  also  to  be  fulfilled,  and  so  "  he 
was  buried  according  to  the  scriptures,"  i.  Cor.  xv.  4.  He  was 
buried  also, 

3.  That  he  might  be  humbled  to  the  lowest  degree.     The  human 

•  The  Author  hath  respect  here  to  a  custom  of  the  Dutch  church  in  Hol- 
land, of  preaching,  during  certain  weeks  previoua  to  Easter,  on  tlic  history 
of  the  passion,  death,  and  bcrial  ©f  Christ, 


332  CHRIST'S  DEATH.  BURIAL,  ho. 

body  cannot  be  reduced  to  a  humbler  condition,  than  to  betaken  away 
from  ambng  men,  and  shut  up  in  a  dark  pit  of  the  earth  :  the  lowest 
humiliation  of  Tyre  is  expressed  by  this  figure,  Ezck.  xxvi,  20.  And 
thus  Jes\is  also  "  descended  into  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth," 
Eph.  iv.  9. 

4.  That  he  might  wholly  take  away  the  curse,  and  hide  it  in  the 
grave  from  the  face  of  God  and  of  his  people,  and  stifle  it,  as  those 
who  were  hanged,  being  accursed  of  God,  were  ordered  to  be  buried 
the  same  day  on  which  they  were  hanged,  Deut.  xxi.  23.  So  all 
things  that  were  devoted  to  God,  were  to  be  taken  away  from  among^ 
men,  as  Jericho  was  devoted  by  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  by  fire, 
and  therefore  might  not  be  rebuilt,  Joshua  vi.  21,  24,  26.  See  also 
Joshua  viii.  28,  29,  for  the  guilt  and  uncleanness  would  have  re- 
mained, if  he  had  not  been  buried,  accordinj^  to  Deut.  xxi.  23,  but 
"when  he  was  buried,  "the  Lord  removed  the  iniquity  of  the  land  in 
one  day,"  Zech.  iii.  9.  And  thus  also  the  curse  of  returning  to  the 
dust,  inflicted  upon  the  sinner,  Gen.  iii.  19,  was  taken  away,  the 
graves  were  made  agreeable  restingplaces  of  the  saints,  Isaiah  Ivii.  2, 
^d  the  old  man  was  buried  wnth  him,  Rom  vi.  4. 

in.  But  did  Christ  die  to  satisfy  the  divine  justice,  why  must  wc 
then  also  die?  th\is  asks  the  instructor  in  the  forty-second  question. 
For  if  Christ  died  to  satisfy  for  the  guilt,  by  which  the  elect  deserv* 
ed  ptinishment  and  death,  it  would  seem  to  follow,  that  they  OTip;ht 
T^ot  then  to  die,  or  that  God  would  demand  the  debt  twice,  which 
militates  against  the  justice  of  God  ;  from  which  the  Socinians  con- 
clude that  Christ  did  not  satisfy  by  his  death,  and  the  Papists  that 
he  did  not  satisfy  perfectly,  but  that  we  ourselves  must  still  satisfy 
by  our  own  death,  as  a  proper  punishment.  Others  justly  condemn- 
ed by  the  synods  of  our  own  country,  say  that  death,  and  all  the 
temporal  afflictions  of  believers  are  proper  punishments  of  their 
sins.* 

In  order  to  confute  this  pretended  ar9:ument,  and  to  show  that  our 
death  detracts  not  from  the  perfect  satisfaction  of  Christ  by  his  death, 
we  must  know  that  a  proper  punishment  of  sin  is  not  any  misery 
inflicted  upor>  believers,  on  occasion,  and  from  a  consideration  of 
sin,  for  their  chastisement,  amendment,  humiliation,  and  glorifica- 
tion ;  but  misery  inflicted  upon  the  sinner  for  his  destruction  by 
God,  as  a  judge  for  the  satisfaction  of  his  justice.  Thus  the  mstruc- 
tor  also  understands  this,  when   he  saith  to  the  proposed  objection, 

*  The  author  hath  rcipcct  here  to  Professor  Roel,   ^vhom  vc  have  men- 
t\oned  before. 


XV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  40—44  S35 

"  Our  death  is  not  a  satisfaction  for  our  sins,"  and  thus  also  must 
those  who  oppose  us  consider  it,  as  they  verily  do  ;  but  they  disguise 
the  matter,  that  their  opinion  may  not  be  exposed  and  detested. 

That  the  death  of  believers,  and  all  their  temporal  misery  is 
not  a  proper  punishment  of  sins,  and  a  compensation  for  them, 
appears, 

1.  From  the  reality  and  perfection  orchrist's  satisfaction,  which 
we  have  proved  on  the  foregoing  Lord's  day.  P'or  if  he  satisfied 
fully  for  ail  their  sins,  there  cannot  then  remain  any  proper  punish-= 
ment  for  them,  and  they  are  not  obliged  to  make  satisfaction,  nor  to 
discharge  their  debt  by  their  death  and  temporal  afflictions. 

2.  The  guilt  of  behevers  is  removed  from  their  afflictions,  because 
God  hath  forgiven  and  taken  away  their  sins,  so  that  they  cannot, 
properly  speaking,  be  punished  any  more  on  account  of  them  ;  for 
the  Lord  saith,  "  I  have  sworn  that  I  would  not  be  wroth  with  thee, 
nor  rebuke  thee,"  Isaiah  liv.  9.  "  He  is  a  God  who  forgiveth  his 
people,  but  who  still  taketh  vengeance  of  their  inventions,"  Psalm 
xcix.  8.  "Nathan  said  unto  David,  the  Lord  hath  put  away  thy 
sin  ;  thou  shalt  not  die.  Howbeit,  because  by  this  deed  ihou  hast 
given  occasion  to  the  enemies  of  the  Lord  to  blaspheme,  the  child 
also  that  is  born  unto  thee  shall  surely  die,  2  Sam.  xii.  15,  14.  Af- 
flictions are  indeed  called  vengeance,  after  sins  are  forgiven  :  and 
punishment  is  indeed  inflicted  on  account  of  sins,  yet  they  are  not 
therefore  a  proper  punishment  for  the  satisfaction  of  sins,  because 
these  were  taken  away  ;  but  they  are  desij^ned  for  chastisements, 
which  are  inflicted  on  believers  upon  account  of  sins,  and  so  retain  a 
semblance  of  vengeance  for  their  advantage,  humili':ition  and  amend- 
ment. We  see  this  in  many  passages  of  the  word  of  God,  Heb» 
xii.  6—11.     Pslam  xciv.  12,  13.     cxix.  71. 

3.  Temporal  afflictions  and  death  are  welcome  to  believers,  for 
they  glory  and  take  pleasure  in  them,  2  Cor.  xii.  9,  10.  Death  is 
their  treasure,  1  Cor.  iii.  22,  their  gain  and  they  long  for  it,  Philip. 
i.  21,  23.  Could  this  be  so,  if  it  were  a  proper  punishment  ?  could 
a  malefactor  speak  thus,  when  he  was  punished  for  his  abomin- 
ations ? 

4.  Death  delivers  believers  from  every  misery,  and  procures  the 
greatest  happiness  to  them  :  shame,  loss,  and  pain  may  remain  wi^h 
them  until  death,  but  they  must  then  depart :  "  Blessed  are  the 
dead  which  die  in  the  Lord,  from  henceforth,  yea,  saith  the  Spirit, 
that  they  may  rest  from  their  labours,"  Kev.  xiv.  15.  By  death 
they  die  also  to  their  sins,  which  are  their  greatest  afflictions  :  "  For 
he  ths^t  is  dead  is  freed  from  sin,"  Rom.  vi.  7.    Yea,  death  is  to  them 


334  CHRIST'S  DEATH,  BURIAL,  &c. 

a  passage  into  eternal  life  :  "  For  we  know  that  if  our  earthly  house 
of  this  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building  of  God,  an 
houss  not  made  with  hands,  but  eternal  in  the  heavens,"  2  Cor.  v.  1 . 
If  it  be  asked,  why  God  still  inflicts  death  not  only  upon  the  un- 
godly, but  also  upon  his  people,  when  it  is  so  bitter  to  them,  seeing 
i\is  Son  hath  fully  satisfied  his  justice  by  suffering  every  punishment, 
and  death  also  ?  we  answer  briefly,  that  God  could  indeed  glorify  the 
elect,    and  take  them  up   into  heaven  immediately,  without  seeing 
death  ;  for  it  doth  not  militate  either  against  his  power,  or  his  justice, 
as  he  showed  in  the  ascension  of  Enoch  and  Elijah  ;  but  Cod  haih 
wise  reasons  for  not  doing  this,  since  it  is  his  will  to  apply  the  merits 
of  his   Son   gradually  ;    and   therefore  he   doth    not  sanctify  them 
neither  perfectly  in  a  moment  from  their  conception  and  birth,  that 
they  may  observe  his  wonderful  way  in  order ;   he  desires  by  such 
a  bitter  frait  to  show  them,  and  cause  tiiem  to  bevv  til  the  abominable 
nature  of  sin,  that  they  raay  humble   Themselves  for  it;  to  induce 
them  to  consider  the  exceeding   grievousness  of  the  suffering  and 
death  of  Christ:  he  hath  also  ordered  this  so,  that  they  may  be  con- 
formed to  the  image  of  his  Son  in    dealh  ;  the   Lord  teacheth  his 
people  thus  the  greatness  of  his  power  by  leading  them  tlirough 
every  opposition,  and  in  such  an  unsightly  way  to  life.     Finally,  we 
say  also  that  it  is  a  wonderful  goodness  of  God,    that   he  doth  not 
take  his  people  up  into  heaven  in  the  body  without  death  ;  for  if  he 
did,  then  those  who  remained  alive,    would  know  infallibly  that  all 
those  who  died,  were  lost.     This  would  be  an  insupportable  grief  to 
those  who  remained  alive,  especially  when   they  saw  their  dearest 
friends  and  relations  die.  That  the  Lord  might  now  manifest  his  good- 
ness, and  not  willingly  afflict,  or  grieve  the  children  of  men,  there- 
fore he  hath  appointed   it  to  all  men  once  to  die,   the  righteous  as 
well  as  the  wicked. 

IV.  But  "  what  further  benefit  do  we  receive  from  the  sacrifice 
and  death  of  Christ  on  the  cross  I"  Many  and  great  benefits  of  the 
sufferings  and  death  of  Christ  on  the  cross  under  Pontius  Pilate  are 
exhibited  in  the  fifteenth  Lord's  day  ;  but  there  are  also  other  bene- 
fits, and  particularly,  that  "  by  virtue  thereof  our  old  man  is  cruci- 
fied, dead  and  buried  with  him,  that  so  the  corrupt  inclinations  of 
the  flesh  may  no  more  reign  in  us,  but  that  we  may  offer  ourselves 
to  him  a  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving." 

The  old  man  is  the  natural  corruption  of  man,  which  possesseth 
him  entirely  from  his  birth,  and  is  a  continual  source  of  evil  lusts, 
which  reign  and  rule  over  the  sinner,  as  a  king,  according  to  a  sinful 
laW:.  which  they  prescribe  to  him,  and  under,  and  according  to  which 


XVI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  40—44.  335 

they  hold  him  captive,  and  compel  him,  while  he  is  neither  able,  nor 
willing  to  be  delivered  from  his  bondage.  -See  Rom.  vii.  5,  23,  Eph« 
ii.  1,  2,  3,  Which  old  man  is  also  called  "  indwelling  sin,  the  mo- 
lions  of  sin,  the  law  of  the  members,  the  flesh,'*  &c.  Rom.  vi. 
and  vii. 

This  is  crucified,  dead  and  buried,  not  only  with  respect  to  guilt 
by  justification,  since  our  guilt  was  nailed  to  the  cross  of  Christ,  slain, 
and  thrust  in  his  grave.  Coll.  ii.  14,  of  which  we  have  treated  on  the 
fifteenth  Lord's  day,  when  we  showed  that  he  obtained  redemption, 
the  favour  of  God,  righteousness  and  eternal  life  for  the  elect,  and 
freed  them  from  the  severe  judgment  of  God,  and  from  the  curse 
by  his  suJBTering  ;  but  also  with  respect  to  the  power  and  dominion 
of  the  old  man,  which  is  crucified,  dead  and  buried  by  sanctification, 
partly  in  this  life,  so  that  the  evil  lusts  of  the  flesh  do  not  reign  any 
more  :  *'  for  sin  shall  not  have  dominion  over  you,"  saith  the  apostle, 
Rom.  Yi.  14,  whereby  believers,  being  thus  freed  and  separated,  offer 
thems^ves  a  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving  to  God,  Rom.  xii.  1.  "  We 
beseech  you  therefore,  brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  pre- 
sent your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy  and  acceptable  unto  God, 
which  is  your  reasonable  service."  But  after  this  life  the  old  man 
will  be  perfectly  crucified,  dead  and  buried,  Heb.  xii.  23. 

The  old  man  is  crucified,  dead  and  buried  with  Christ  by  virtue 
of  his  crucifixion,  death  and  burial, 

1 .  Because  he  by  his  death  on  the  crosi,  and  by  his  burial,  depri- 
ved sin  of  its  strength,  whereby  it  reigneth  :  "  The  strength  of  sin  is 
the  law,"  I  Cor.  xv.  56.  The  law  condemns  the  sinner  to  be  a  slave 
of  sin,  it  discovereth  sin,  yea,  sin  works  effectually  by  occasion  of 
the  law.  Sec  this,  Rom.  v.  20.  vii.  5,  13.  Now  Christ  hath  deprived 
this  law,  which  is  the  strength  of  sin,  of  its  strength,  by  his  death 
on  the  cross,  and  by  their  burial,  inasmuch  as  he  satisfied  it,  and  so 
it  cannot  hold  the  elect  sinner  any  longer  under  sin.  Therefore 
Paul  saith,  Rom.  vii.  4.  "  Wherefore,  my  brethren,  ye  also  are 
become  dead  to  the  law  by  the  body  of  Christ."  And  thus  "  sin  hath 
no  longer  dominion  over  believers,  because  they  are  not  under  the 
law,  but  under  grace,"  Rom.  vii.  14. 

2.  Christ  hath  merited  satisfaction  for  them  ;  for  "  he  gave  him- 
self for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify 
unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works,"  Titus  ii.  14. 
For  they  are  reckoned  in  him,  when  he  is  made  sanctification  to 
them,  I  Cor.  i.  30,  and  so  are  said  to  be  crucified,  dead,  and  buried 
with  him.  "  We  are  buried  with  him  by  baptism  into  death  ;  that 
like  as  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  to  the  glory  of  the  Father? 


336  CHRIST'S  DEATH,- BURIAL,  &c. 

even  so  we  also  should  walk  in  newness  of  life.  For  if  we  have 
been  planted  together  in  the  likeness  of  his  death,  we  shall  be  also 
in  the  likeness  of  his  resurrection  ;  knowing  this,  that  our  old  man 
is  crucified  witli  him,"  Gal.  ii.  20.  Coll.  ii.  11.  12. 

3.  By  his  death  on  the  cross,  and  his  burial  he  hath  also  merited 
and  given  the  Holy  Ghost  to  them.  Gal.  iii  13,  14,  whereby  they 
'<  mortify  "  theii  sins,  the  old  man,  and  "  the  deeds  of  the  body,'* 
Rom.  viii.  13.  So  the  apostle  speaks,  1  Cor.  vi.  11.  "Ye  are  wash- 
ed, ye  are  sanctified,  ye  are  justified  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  by  the  Spirit  of  our  God." 

4.  The  death  of  Christ  on  the  cross,  and  his  burial,  affords  them 
a  powerful  motive  to  crucify,  mortify  and  bury  the  old  man  ;  for 
when  they  see  the  love  of  Christ,  the  grievousncss  of  his  sufferings 
for  them  and  that  their  old  man  procured  all  this  distress  to  him, 
they  are  then  powerfully  moved  to  dedicate  and  offer  themselves  up 
to  him,  in  order  to  serve  him,  and  to  recompense  that  evil  upon  the 
old  man,  and  to  take  vengeance  of  him  :  for  "  they  who  are  Christ's 
have  crucified  the  the  flesh,  with  the  affections  and  lusts,"  Gal.  v. 
24.  This  Peier  also  intimateth,  when  he  saith,  "  Forasmuch  then  as 
Christ  hath  suffered  for  us  in  the  flesh,  arm  yourselves  likewise  with 
the  same  mind,  to  wit,  that  he  who  hath  suffered  in  the  flesh  hath 
ceased  from  sin  ,"  1  Peter,  iv.  1. 

5.  The  death  of  Christ  on  the  cross  and  his  burial  is  also  a  lively 
figure  of  the  manner  in  which  believers  ought  to  crucify,  mortify, 
and  bury  the  old  man.  As  Christ  was  sought  until  he  was  found, 
seized,  arraigned  before  the  tribunal,  accused,  reproached,  spitten 
upon,  scourged,  stripped  naked,  tortured,  deprived  of  food,  slain,  and 
taken  from  among  men,  so  also  must  believers  deal  with  the  old 
man  :  in  this  manner  would  Paul  "  be  conformed  to  the  death  of 
Christ,"  Philip,  iii.  10.  For  this  end  Christ  also  suffered,  1  Peter 
ii.  21— .24. 

y .  We  must  inquire  further  why  it  is  said,  "  that  he  descended 
into  hell."  We  must  not  understand  this  so,  as  though  Christ  de- 
scended properly  into  the  place  of  the  damned,  to  triumph  there  over 
the  powers  of  hell,  as  the  Lutherans  in.agine  :  or  that  he  entered 
into  a  porch  of  hell,  where  the  believing  fathers  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment were  kept,  to  deliver  them  out  of  it  ;  for  the  word  of  God  know- 
eth  nothing  of  such  a  descending  into  hell.  His  body  was  in  the 
gr.ive,  and  his  soul  in  the  hi»nds'of  his  leather,  during  his  death,  wheli 
he  should  have  descended  into  hell.  It  hath  never  been  heard  of, 
that  a  general  triumph  before  a  prison  ;  Christ  triumphed  on  the 
cross,  Coll.  ii.  15;  and  in  his  exaltation,  Psalm  Ixviii.  18.    The  be- 


XVI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  40— 4U  337 

lieving  fathers  of  the  Old  Testament  entered  into  heaven  in  conse- 
quence of  the  suretiship  of  Christ,  and  by  the  reflex  virtue  of  hi» 
sufferings ;  we  see  this  not  only  in  Enoch  and  h.iijah,  but  also  in 
Abraham,  Luke  xvi.  22,  in  Jacob,  Gen.  xlix.  18.  "  Christ  preached 
indeed  to  the  spirits  in  prison,'^  1  Peter  lii.  19,  but  he  did  not  de- 
scend in  the  body  into  the  prison,  but  oy  his  Spirit,  in  which  he  went, 
and  preached  in  the  days  of  Noah,  and  by  him,  to  the  inhabitants  of 
ihe  old  world,  who  are  the  spirits,  and  who  were,  when  Peter  wrote 
this,  in  prison,  but  not  when  Christ  preached  to  them. 

It  is  true,  our  creed  sa'.th  that  "  Christ  descvrnded  into  hell  :"  but 
We  also  know  that  this  creed,  being  a  human  composition,  must 
ihertfore  be  explained  accordin;^  to  the  word  of  God ;  that  the  de- 
scent into  hell  is  not  found  in  the  most  ancient  creeds,  and  that  it 
occurs  indeed  in  the  creed  of  Athanasius,  but  that  then  the  burial  is 
left  out,  as  the  burial  is  mserted  in  the  creed  of  Nice,  but  the  descent 
into  hell  is  not  found  there.  All  which  proves  that  the  ancitnts  under- 
stood by  the  descent  into  hell  the  burial ;  which  is  also  agreeable  to  the 
word  of  God.  David  charges  his  son  Solomon, "  not  to  let  the  gray  hairs 
of  Joab  go  down  to  the  grave  in  peace,"  1  Kings  ii,  6.  We  must  re- 
member that  the  Hebrew  word  sc/ieol,  and  the  Greek  word  hadtfs  signi- 
fies hell  and  the  grave  both,  for  which  reason  they  are  translated  some- 
times by  hell,  and  sometimes  by  the  grave.  And  thus  the  descent  of 
Jesus  into  hell  is  the  same  with  hisburial ;  therefore  he  saith,  Psalm  xvi. 
10.  "  Thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soul  in  hell,  neither  wilt  thou  suffer 
thine  holy  One  to  see  corruption,"  Peter  and  Paul  prove  that  he 
speaks  here  of  the  burial  of  his  body,  Acts  ii.  24 — 31.  xiii.  35,  36, 
37.  But  as  his  burial  was  expressed  before  in  proper  language, 
hence  it  is  not  suitable,  at  least  not  in  such  a  short  compend  of  the 
articles  of  our  faith,  to  repeat  the  selfsame  thing  in  the  figurative 
words  of  descending  into  hell.  And  therefore  we  understand  by  this 
with  the  instructor  the  suffering  of  Christ's  soul,  "  his  unspeakable 
anguish,  pains,  terrours  and  hellish  agonies,  in  which  he  was  plunged 
during  all  his  sufferings,  but  especially  on  the  cross."  As  David 
also  expresseth  the  suffering  of  his  soul  by  the  pains  of  hell.  Psalm 
cxvi.  3.  The  pains  of  hell  got  hold  on  me  :  I  found  trouble  and 
sorrow."  See  Psalm  xviii.  4,  5.  As  he  also  truly  suffered  the  anguish 
of  hell ;  for  "  his  soul  was  troubled,"  John  xii.  27.  xiii.  21.  *'  How 
am  I  straitened  ?"  thus  he  complained,  Luke  xii.  50.  "  He  was  sor- 
rowful and  very  heavy.  Then  said  he  to  his  disciples.  My  soul  is 
exceedingly  sorrowful,"  Matt.  xxvi.  37,  38.  Yea,  '*  he  was  sore 
amazed,"  Mark  xiv.  33,  and  "  he  was  in  a  great  agony,"  Luke  xxii, 
44.     But  he  suffered  still  more  grievously  on  the  crots,  when  "  he 

Yy 


J38  CHRIST^S  DEATH,  BURIAL,  &g- 

cried  out"  in  such  great  distress,  "  with  a  loud  voice,  My  God,  my 
God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  Matt,  xxvii.  46. 

We  showed  briefly  on  the  foregoing  Lord's  day  wherein  this  suf- 
fering of  his  soul  properly  consibted  :  we  will  exhibit  this  now  mor^ 
fully  And  O  that  every  one  would  earnest- y  endeavour  to  obtain 
a  proper  understanding  of  this  matter,  that  the  believer  may  pe'ceive 
^'om  what  the  Son  of  God  hath  delivered  him,  ^nd  others  what  they 
must  yet  expect ;  for  ihey  will  also  be  obliged  to  suffer  that  which 
Christ  suffered,  if  they  do  not  become  reconciled  to  God  in  Christ. 
The  suffe:in;^  of  Christ's  soul,  and  his  hellish  anguish  consisted  in 
these  things  : 

1.  That  he  had  a  deep  sense  O'f  the  power  and  abominable  nature 
of  all  the  sins  of  all  his  dear  elect,  since  he  was  made  sin  for  them," 
2  Cor.  V.  21,  for  he  had  a  deep  sense  of  their  guilt,  the  dreadful 
nature  of  sin,  their  aiming  at  the  throne  and  crown  of  God,  their 
breaking  of  his  yoke,  and  bursting  of  his  bonds,  all  this  he  was 
obliged  to  sustain  now.  Let  a  believer  only  imagine  how  he  is 
pierced  with  sorrow,  when  he  hath  a  feeling  sense  of  sins  and  when 
they  become  like  a  heavy  burthen  too  heavy  for  him,  but  how  then 
was  the  soul  of  Christ  burthened,  when  all  the  sins  of  all  the  elect, 
"with  all  the  curses  and  p-^nalties,  which  ai'e  threatened  on  account  oi 
sin,  were  laid  with  ail  their  weight  upon  him,  when  he  was  neverthe- 
less perfectly  innocent  ?  verily  he  was  not  insensible,  but  complained 
"  1  restored  that  which  I  took  not  away,"  Psalm  Ixix.  4» 

2.  That  he  was  obliged  taexperience  a  deprivation  of  the  ordinary 
and  sensible  influence,  tha  kindness  and  love  of  his  Father  He  who 
•was  the  Son  of  the  Father's  bosom,  and  brought  up  with  him,  who 
v/as  wont  ^o  bathe  in  his  Father's  light  and  love,  was  now  thrust  far 
away  from:  peace^  and  abandoned  to  hellish  darkness ;  no  pleasing 
sensations  occtjpied  his  soul  ;  nothing  but  darkness,  distress  and 
lerrour  possessed  his  miad  ;.  for  he  complained  that  he  was  forsaken; 
to  this  was  also  added, 

3.  That  even  his  Father  set?  himself  against  him  ;  for  he  kindled 
his  wrath  against  him,  like  a  fire*  Did  Job  complain,  ♦'  The  arrows 
of  the  Almighty  are  within  me,  the  poison  whereof  drinketh  up  my 
spirit :  the  terrours  of  God  set  themselves  in  array  aofainst  me,"  Job 
vi.  4.  "  Thou  art  become  cruel  against  me:  with  thy  strong  hand 
thou  opposest  thysel-f  against  me,"  chap.  xxx.  21,  how  grievous  was 
then  the  condition  of  Jesus,  against  whom  God  stirred  up  his  whole 
indignaLionl  The  hardened  sinner  doth  not  apprehend  this:  hut  let 
him  only  represent  to  himself,  that  those  whom  he  heartily  loves^ 
and  without  whose  mutual  love  he  canjiot  live,  depart  from  hUa  with. 


XVI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  40—44.  S3^ 

nversioh,  that  Ihey  behold  iiim  v'ith  anger  and  d'splecisure,  and  m- 
veigh  against  him  with  vehement  indignation,  will  it  not  be  insup- 
portable to  him  ?  How  grievous  then  was  the  condition  of  Christ, 
when  not  any  beloved  creature,  but  his  allsufficient  and  loving  Father 
himself  atvacked  him  in  such  a  severe  manner  with  his  anger  I 

4.  That  the  whole  power  of  hell  was  let  loose  upon  him  ;  '•  It  was 
now  the  hour  and  power  of  darkness,"  Luke  xxii.  53.  *'  The  prince 
of  this  world  came  against  him,"  John  xiv.  30.  He  stirred  up  against 
him  all  those  who  scoffed  at  his  sonship,  kingdom,  and  trusting  in 
God  ;  and  must  we  not  think  that  he  who  sought  to  bereave  him  in 
a  crafty  manner  in  the  wilderness,  of  his  behef  in  his  sonship,  and 
of  his  trusting  in  his  Father,  did  now  much  more  do  this?  Who  can 
doubt  but  that  he  assaulted  him  m  this,  or  some  other  disquieting 
manner  If  thou  wert  the  iSon  of  God*  would  thy  Father  himself  be 
so  wroth  with  thee  ?  would  he  depart  from  thee  ?  would  he  affiict  thee 
in  this  manner  for  the  sins  of  others,  when  thou  hast  not  committed 
any  offences  thyself?  is  this  indeed  just  ?  dost  thou  intend  to  be  the 
surety  of  the  elect  in  thy  sufferings  ?  is  it  possible  that  one  should 
satisfy  for  ail  ?  dost  thou  hope  tiiat  thou  wilt  j'et  surmount  thy  suf- 
fering ?  no,  thou  must  suffer  for  ever,  and  thou  wilt  never  surmount 
it ;  desist,  curse  God  ana  die.  Every  person  who  hath  at  any  time 
been  the  object  of  the  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked  one,  knows  hoW 
grievous  this  is  ?  If  we  consider  further,  that  his  clear  understanding 
was  overclouded  with  the  greatest  darkness,  although  without  sin, 
that  he  was  forsaken  by  God  in  all  the  torments  of  his  body  and 
soul,  that  the  bright  noonday  was  darkened  over  him,  and  that  the 
sun  withdrew  its  light  from  him,  we  cannot  but  perceive  that  he  suf- 
fered the  anguish  of  hell  in  the  most  grievous  manner. 

Why  did  it  please  the  Lord,  might  it  be  asked  here,  to  bruise  him 
thus  ?  It  was  foretold.  Psalm  xxii.  1 .  He  was  obliged  to  satisfy 
for  souls,  and  therefore  '*  to  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,"  Isaiah 
liii.  10,  and  deliver  the  elect  from  the  anguish  and  pains  of 
hell,  Hosea  xiii.  14.  And  thus  «' hath  Jesus  delivered  them  from 
the  wrath  to  come,"  1  Thess.  i.  10, 


APPLICATION, 

When  we  attend  carefully  to  all  this,  and  also  to  what  hath  been 
said  on  the  foregoing  Loid's  day,  must  we  not  then  be  astonished  at 
iht  inconceivable  love  of  Christ  to  bis  people  ?    When  he  wept  orer 


:^  CHRIST'S  DEATH,  BURIAL,  &c. 

Lazarus  who  was  dead,  "  The  Jews  said,  behold  how  he  loved  him," 
John  xi.  35,  36.  But  if  his  tears  were  evidences  of  his  great  love, 
was  it  not  then  the  greatest  evidence  of  his  love,  that  he  poured  out 
even  his  soul  unto  death,  descended  into  the  lowermost  parts  of  the 
earth,  yea,  suffered  such  grievous,  hellish  agonies,  that  he  might 
deliver  his  people  from  the  power  of  hell  ? 

But  ye  surely  know  that  he  did  not  suffer  thus  in  the  stead  of  all 
men,  and  that  all  do  not  partake  of  the  benefits  of  his  death,  burial, 
and  descent  into  hell.  Therefore  examine  yourselves,  and  see  how 
it  is  with  you  in  this  respect.  And  that  we  may  assist  you  herein^ 
we  will  show  you  who  may  believe  that  these  things  belong  to 
them. 

1.  These  persons  have  died  in  their  knap;inalion  that  they  were 
spiritually  alive,  having  learned  with  distress  and  concern,  that  they 
were  under  the  sentence  of  death.  This  appears  from  Rom  v'lu 
9,  *'  I  was  alive  without  the  law  once  ;  but,  when  the  command- 
ment came,  sin  revived,  and  I  died,"  Gal.  ii.  19,  20.  "Itlirough 
the  law  am  dead  to  the  law,  that  1  might  live  unto  God.  I  am  cru- 
cified with  Christ."  The  sinner,  born  and  educated  under  the  gos- 
pel, imagineth  that  he  is  alive,  because  he  enjoys  the  privileges  of 
the  Christian  worship,  because  God  is  merciful,  Christ  hath  died,  and 
lie  is  civil  and  devout;  is  he  convinced  that  he  hath  corrupted  himself 
in  a  horrible  manner,  he  doth  not  yet  say,  there  is  no  hope,  he  finds 
still  the  life  of  his  hand,  for  he  will  amend  his  ways.  But  those  for 
whom  Christ  became  a  surety  in  his  death,  are  convinced  by  him  of 
their  folly,  their  imaginations  fail  them,  they  see  that  they  are  dead  in 
trespasses  and  sins,  and  they  are  amazed  that  they  have  so  long  a  time 
fed  upon  a  lie  in  their  right  hand,  and  upon  ashes.  And  so  "  they 
are  pricked  in  their  hearts,"  Acts.  ii.  37.  Yea,  all  their  great  vir- 
tues, with  which  they  were  formerly  so  well  pleased,  fail  there,  like 
loss  and  dung,  Philip,  jii.  4 — 9. 

2.  These  persons  are  more  disturbed  and  concerned  about  the 
wrath  of  God,  under  grievous  adversities,  and  crosses,  than  about 
the  most  grievous  cross  itself.  Extraordinary  disgrace,  losses  and 
pains  depress  them  exceedingly  :  but  when  they  suspect  that  they 
may  be  proper  punishments,  inflicted  by  an  angry  God,  this  is  in- 
supportable to  them,  and  is,  as  it  were,  a  descending  into  hell : 
"  thou  didst  hide  thy  face,  and  I  was  troubled,"  said  David,  Psalm 
XXX.  9.  They  can  sometimes  rejoice  and  glory  in  their  sufferings, 
but  not  unless  they  know  that  they  are  reconciled  to  God,  and  have 
peace  with  him,  Rom.  V.  1,  2,3.  Therefore  they  pray  so  exceed- 
ingly against  the  wrath  of  God  m  his  judgments  t    <'  O   Lord,''  said 


XVI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  40—44  ^ 

David,  Psalm  vi.  1,  "rebuke me  not  in  thine  anger,  neither  chasten 
me  in  thine  hot  displeasure  "  And  Jeremiah  prayed  in  his  grievous 
tribulations;  "  Be  not  a  terrour  to  me,"  Jer.  xvii.  17.  Others  do 
not  concern  themselves  about  the  anger  of  God,  but  only  that  God 
would  remove  the  death  of  misery  from  them. 

3.  They  are  such  whose  old  man  is  crucified,  dead  and  buried,  so 
that  the  corrupt  inclinations  of  the  flesh  do  not  reign  any  more  in 
them.  We  see  this  Rom.  vi.  4,  5.  6,  Coll,  ii.  11,  12.  Gal.  v. 
24.  They  are  sometimes  indeed  hurried  to  evil  lusts,,  yet  not  like 
slaves  and  servants  of  sin,  but  like  prisoners,  who  are  drag?:ed  along  ; 
they  follow  indeed,  but  at  every  step  they  withstand  their  mighty 
enemy,  and  endeavour  to  disengage  them.selves  from  him  ;  there- 
fore they  pray  and  strive  against  the  old  man,  and  when  they  are 
cast  down  by  him,  they  rise  up  anew,  and  bewail  themselves  with 
Paul,  Rom.  vii.  23,  24.  Yea,  they  surrender  themselves  to  the 
Lord,  as  a  sacrifice  of  thanksgiving,  that  they  may  serve  him,  and 
they  dedicae  themselves  to  him,  and  exert  themselves  for  him. 
This  we  are  taught,  Rom.  vi.  17.  "  God  be  thanked,  that  ye  were 
the  servants  of  sin  ;  but  ye  have  obeyed  from  the  heart,  that  form  of 
doctrine  which  was  delivered  you,"  Others  esteem  sin  a  pleasure, 
they  swim  in  it,  as  a  fish  in  the  water,  they  follow  nature  :  doth  their 
conscience  reprove  them,  they  are  displeased,  they  even  wish  that  this 
and  that  action  v/ere  no  sin :  are  they  moral,  would  they  not  by  any 
means  commit  heinous  sins,  it  is  not  because  their  old  man  is  m.orti- 
fied  by  the -death  of  Christ,  for  their  heart  hath  never  yet  been  chan- 
ged^ nor  the  new  man  formed  in  them  ;  but  it  proceeds  from  a  mor- 
al disposition,  a  virtuous  education,  and  natural  conscience  ;  as  they 
have  never  yet  surrendered  themselves  to  him,  but  li?e  only  to  them- 
selves, and  for  themselves,  and  that  even  as  far  as  they  are  religious, 
Isaiah  Iviii.  3.     Zech.  vii.  5,  6. 

If  now,  hearers,  ye  have  the  least  concern  about  your  eternal 
weilbeing  or  illbeing,  and  attend  seriously  to  what  hath  been  said, 
and  examine  yourselves,  ye  will  indeed  see  how  it  is  situated  with 
you  in  this  respect ;  but  if  ye  do  not  regard  it,  if  ye  know  not  of 
such  a  dying  to  yourselves,  if  ye  will  not  suffer  such  an  anxious 
mind,  if  ye  do  not  think  of  the  wrath  of  God  in  adversity,  but  coh^ 
sider  all  as  well,  so  long  as  ye  enjoy  peace,  and  are  without  feat*, 
if  sin  do  still  hve  in  you,  and  ye  live  in  sin :  know  then,  that  "  ye  are 
dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,"  Eph.  ii.  1.  **  Ye  have  indeed  the  name 
that  ye  hve.  but  ye-  are  dead,"  Rev.  iii.  I.  It  is  true,  ye  live,  but 
like  a  dead  carcase,  which  is  alive  with  worms  :  •<  The  widow  that 
iiveth  in  pleasure)  is  d^ad  while  she  liv€ti^j"  1  Sam  v.  6,    All  your 


S45  CHRIST'S  DEATH,  BURIAL,  &c. 

adversities  are  only  the  beginnings  af  sorrow:  God  "  distributeth 
sorrows  to  you  in  his  anger,"  Job  xxi.  i7.  But  it  will  be  much 
more  grievous  for  you,  when  God  will  require  your  souls  of  you, 
when  your  bodies  shall  be  laid  in  a  dark  cave,  to  be  food  for  worms, 
and  your  souls  shall  descend  into  hell,  to  die  eternally  without  living, 
and  to  live  eternally  without  dying,  and  thus  to  satisfy  by  yourselves 
the  justice  and  truth  of  God  ;  for  "  death  shall  seize  upon  you,  and 
ye  shall  thus  go  down  quick  into  hell,"  Psalm  Iv.  15. 

O  that  ye  would  lay  this  to  heart,  would  shake  off  your  carnal 
security,  and  endeavour  to  prevent  your  destruction.  This  is  indeed 
the  only  way  to  cause  you  to  flee  out  of  yourselves  to  him,  who  is 
set  forth  to  you  by  God  to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his 
blood. 

But  ye,  who  cannot  disown  these  evidences  of  your  interest  in  the 
death,  burial,  and  descent  of  Christ  into  hell,  will  ye  still  indulge  this 
and  that  corrupt  inclination  of  the  mortified  old  man  ?  '*  will  yt  con- 
tinue in  sin,  that  grace  may  abound  ?  Gcd  forbid  ;  how  shall  we  that 
are  dead  to  sin,  live  any  longer  therein?"  Rom.  vi.  1,  2.     Your  old 
man  is  indeed  crucified,  d<^ad,   and  buried  with  Christ,  but  it  is  only 
initially  ;  ye  know  how  often  ye  are  seized  by  him,  and  carried  cap- 
tive, and  therefore  it  is,  and  remains  your  duty  to  crucify,   mortify, 
and  bury  him  :  exert  yourselves  then  for  this  purpose.     And  should 
ye  not  do  this  ?  (a)  Have  not  your  sins  done  this  to  him,  who  is  the 
beloved  of  your  soul  ?    '*  Ye  have  pierced  him"  by  them,  Zech.  xii. 
10.     He  received  the  wounds  of  his  hands  and  feet  in   the  house  of 
his  friends ,  yea,  ye  still  cause  him  to  *'  serve  with  your  sins,  and 
weary  him  with  your  iniquities,"  Isaiah  xliii.  24.  Can  ye  suffer  this; 
and  will  ye  not  revenge  it  ?  (b)  How  many  crosses  do  your  sins  pro- 
cure to  you  ?  "  Your  iniquities  separate  between  you  and  your  God, 
and  your  sins  hide  his  face  from   you,  that  he  will  not  hear,"  Isaiah 
lix.  2,     Whence   proceed  all  your  afflictions  with  respect  to  your 
body  and  soul,  *'  that  it  is  so  bitter,  that  it  reacheth  even  to  your 
heart  ?"  Is   it  not  "  from  your  way,  your  doings  and  your  wicked- 
ness ?"  Jer.  iv.  is.     When  do  ye  experience   most  pain,  anguish, 
terrour,  and  hellish  sorrows  ?  Is  it  not  after  ye  have  suffered  your- 
selves to  be  ensnared  in  sinful  actions  through  your  unwatchfulness? 
wdl  ye  not  then  attack  your  sins,  that  ye  may  slay  them,  although 
they  should  be  like  a  right  eye,  a  right  hand,  or  a  right  foot  ?   (c)  A 
Christian  surely  never  lives  content,  while  he  doth  not  slay  his  sins  ; 
because  his  oki  man  is  crucified,  dead  and  buried  with  Christ,  there- 
fore bin  doth  not  agree  with  his  nature :  he  cannot  make  sin  his  prop- 
er work,  like  Satan  and  his  people ;  "  for  he  who  is  born  of  God 


XVI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  40—44.  343 

doth  not  commit  sin  ;  for  his  seed  remaineth  in  him  :  and  he  cannot 
sin,  because  he  is  born  of  God,"  1  John  iii.  9,  Doth  sin  surprize 
him  sometimes,  '•  bringing  him  into  captivity  to  the  law  of  sin, 
which  is  in  his  members,"  he  is  not  pleased  with  it,  but  complams? 
«  O  wretched  man  that  I  am,  who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body 
of  this  diiath  ?"  Rom,  viii.  23,  24.  But  when  he  crucifies,  mortifies 
and  buries  sin,  how  free  and  unconstrained  doth  he  then  hve  i  What 
clearness  is  there  then  in  his  soul  1  How  doth  he  triumph  over  his 
enemy !  yea,  with  what  joy  is  he  then  admitted  to  the  life  which  is 
hidden  with  Christ  in  God  !  for  we  may  then  especially  apply  to  the 
Christian  that  which  we  find,  Coll.  iii.  3.  "  Ye  are  dead,  and  your 
life  is  hidden  with  Christ  in  God  "  Have  ye  no  mind  to  that  hfe,  nor 
any  great  inchnation  to  it?  Surely  ye  have:  '^mortify  then  your 
members  which  are  upon  earth,"  Coll.  iii.  5.  (d)  If  your  old  man  be 
crucified,  dead  and  buried  with  Christ,  he  hath  taken  you  for  his 
soldiers,  to  fight  with  laira  against  his  enemies,  who  i-.re  also  your 
enemies.  Will  ye  then  prove  faithless,  or  suffer  yourselves,  through 
cowardice,  to  be  wounded,  or  taken  captive  ?  he  stands  upon  mount 
Zion,  and  sees  who  among  you  fights  valiantly,  and  manfully,  and 
him  he  will  crown.  Shall  not  his  eye,  which  is  upon  you,  encourage 
you  to  fight  I  victory  is  certain  ;  "The  Philistines  are  already  fallen 
before  the  face  of  our  Jonathan,  and  ye,  his  armourbearcrs,  have 
only  to  slay  them  after  him,"  See  1  Sam.  xiv.  13. 

Do  ye  not  know  how  ye  should  conduct  in  this  warfare  ?  are  ye 
desirous  of  knowing  how  ye  must  act,  in  order  to  crucify  and  mortify 
them  ?  are  ye  willing  to  exert  yourselves,  in  order  to  subdue  them  ? 
consider  then  (a)  in  what  condition  ye  are  ;  that  ye  belong  not  any 
more  to  the  old  man,  nor  he  to  you,  and  that  your  old  man  is  cruci- 
fied, dead  and  buried  with  him,  that  ye  have  therefore  nothing  to  do 
with  him,  but  to  fic^ht  against  and  slay  him  ;  "  therefore  reckon  ye 
also  yourselves  to  be  dead  to  sin,  but  alive  unto  God,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord,"  Rom.  vi.  11.  As  long  as  we  waver  between  both 
parties,  and  know  not  whether  we  belong  to  Jesus,  or  to  his  enemies, 
so  long  we  will  be  in  a  maze,  and  will  not  be  able  to  learn  this  war- 
fare. Examine  yourselves  therefore,  thitt  ye  may  see  whether  the 
above  mentioned  evidences  be  truly  in  you  ;  and  if  they  be,  why  do 
ye  then  doubt  ?  (b)  Learn  to  distinguish  properly  between  the  mo- 
tions of  the  new  and  of  the  old  man  :  it  often  happeneth,  when  we 
see  corrupt  inclinations  in  ourselves,  proceeding  from  the  old  man^ 
that  we  are  discouraged,  as  though  we  were  traitors,  who  had  still 
such  an  evil  heart,  which  retained  yet  so  many  inclinations  to  the 
enemies  >  l?ut  if  ye  were  skilful  soldiers  in  this  warfare,  y«  would  se^ 


%i%  CHRIST'S  DEATH,  BURIAL,  ke. 

that  ye  yourselves  were  not  the  authors  of  these  things,  but  sin  that 
dwell'-th  in  you,  and  ye  would  witlistand  these  inclinations  coura* 
geously,  like  that  experienced  captain,  Paul ;  see  his  manner  of  act- 
ing in  his  warfure,  Rom.  vii.   15 — 23. 

He  who  will  fig^hl  well,  must  know  his  enemies.  These  enemies 
sometimes  change  their  military  ensigns,  but  their  surest  sign,  by 
which  they  may  be  known,  and  which  they  never  lay  aside,  is  selfseek-? 
ing,  and  aiming  at  self,  tiiough  they  often  disguise  this  sign  with  an  ai> 
pearance  of  virtue,  as  zeal  for  God,  the  love  of  our  neighbour,  necesv 
sity.and  other  things  of  this  kind,  (c)  If  ye  will  destroy  them, 
maintain  a  perfect  and  irreconci'eable  hatred  to  them ;  the  Jews 
would  never  have  crucified  Christ,  if  a  malicious  hatred  to  him 
had  n(;t  possessed  their  souls.  If  we  have  other  enemies  we  must 
love  them  ;  but  our  souls  must  hale  these  lame  and  blind  so  that 
v/e  will  never  make  any  league  with  them. 

And  verily,  when  such  a  hatred  possesseth  your  souls,  it  will  ren- 
der you  active  and  strong  against  the  enemy,  (d)  Stand  upon  your 
guard,  and  take  care  that  the  enemy  fall  not  upon  you  unawares,  or 
surprise  you;  sin  endeavcars  to  assault  you  secretly  by  silent  mo- 
tions of  your  corrupt  nature,  or  by  selfish  ends  in  your  good  works, 
or  by  means  of  opportunities  that  offer  themselves,  or  by  your  out- 
ward members.  Therefore  lake  good  heed,  and  look  on  every  side, 
tiiat  ye  may  see  whether  some  enemy  do  not  appear.  Learn  how 
to  keep  this  watch  from  Prov.  ii.  10,  II,  "  When  wisdom  entereth 
into  iliy  heart,  and  knov/ledge  is  pleasant  to  thy  soul,  discretion 
shall  preserve  thee,  and  understanding  shall  keep  thee.  Also  from 
chapter  iv.  23 — 27,  "  Keep  thy  heart  with  all  diligence  :  for  out 
of  It  are  the  issues  of  life.  Put  away  from  thee  a  froward  mouth, 
and  perverse  lips  put  far  from  thee.  Let  thine  eyes  look  right  on, 
and  let  thine  eyelids  look  straight  before  thee.  Ponder  the  path  of 
thy  feet,  and  let  all  thy  ways  be  established.  Turn  not  to  the  right 
hand,  nor  to  the  left :  remove  thy  foot  from  evil."  We  ought  indeed 
to  take  the  lantern,  and  the  torch  of  the  word  of  God  with  us,  that 
we  may  see  the  enemy  who  endeavours  to  conceal  himself  under 
cloaks  of  shame,  as  the  Jews  sought  Christ  with  lanterns  and  torch- 
es, (e)  Seize  and  take  your  enemies,  and  even  **  the  little  foxes 
that  spoil  the  vines,"  Song  ii.  15.  Ye  ought  not  to  let  one  of  them 
escape  from  you,  but  ought  to  hold  and  bind  them  fast,  that  not  one 
j>iu  may  break  loose  and  mislead  you :  "  Abstain  from  all  appear- 
ance of  evil,"  1  Thess.  V.  22.  "  Hate  even  the  garment  spotted  by 
the  flesh,"  Jude  vrs.  23.(f)  Inflict  punishment  upon  your  enemies 
by  arraigning  them  before   the  high  tribunal,  accusing  them  of  scdi- 


XVI.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  40—44  545 

tion  and  blasphemy  j  deride  them  as  vain  and  foolish  ;  scourge  your 
body  of  sin,  restrain  it,  and  subject  it  to  bondage  ;  deprive  your  enemy 
of  his  food,  and  of  whatever  maintains  his  life,  and  dectives  you ; 
nail  and  slay  him  on  the  cross  of  Christ,  that  he  may  be  buried,  and 
taken  away  from  among  men  ;  for  *'  they  who  are  Christ's  have  cru- 
cified the  flesh  with  the  affections  and  lusts,"  Gal.  v.  24.  Your  King 
requires  this,  Luke  xix  27.  (g)  But  forget  not  to  put  on  the  whole 
armour  of  God,  which  Paul  describes,  Eph.  vi.  11 — 18,  especially 
prayer ;  "  Watch  and  pray,  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation,"  Matt. 
xxvi.  41,  that  he  may  afford  you  his  help;  so  Asa  and  Jehoshaphat 
acted,  2  Chron.  xiv.  1 1.  xx.  12,  for  there  "  is  help  laid  upon  one 
that  is  mighty  "  for  you,  Psalm  Ixxxix.  19,  Urge  him  with  your 
claim  which  ye  have  upon  his  death,  burial,  and  descent  into  hell, 
for  which  he  hath  given  you  the  seal  of  baptism,  Rom.  vi.  3 — 6. 

If  ye  conduct  in  this  manner,  ye  will  be  able  to  shout  and  triumph 
over  your  enemies  in  his  appointed  time,  like  Paul,  2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8« 
"  I  have  fought  the  good  fight,"  &c.  Are  ye  still  burthened  with 
many  crosses,  it  is  not  in  God's  wrath,  and  for  youi  destruction}  but 
it  is  from  his  love,  and  for  your  advantage,  Heb.  xii.  6 — 11.  Are 
ye  afraid  of  death,  it  is  unstung  ;  death  will  deliver  you  from  every 
sorrow,  and  be  a  passage  for  you  into  everlasting  life.  Are  ye 
afraid  of  the  dreary  grave  ;  it  hath  been  sanctified  for  you  by  the 
grave  of  Christ,  "so  that  ye  shall  enter  into  peace,  ye  shall  rest  in 
your  beds  "  Isaiah  Ivii.  2.  Are  ye  sometimes  afflicted  ^ith  many 
terrours,  and  sorrows  of  hell,  let  itj  not  seem  strange  to  you  ;  Jesus, 
who  is  yours,  drank  a  more  bitter  cup :  he  pities  you,  and  will  de- 
liver you  finally  from  these  evils.  Hear  what  he  saith,  Isaiah  Iviip 
18.  "  I  have  seen  his  ways,  and  will  heal  him  :  I  will  lead  him  also 
and  restore  comforts  unto  him,  and  to  his  mourners."  Or  are  ye 
afraid  of  an  everlasting  descent  into  hell :  *'  He  that  believeth  hath 
everlasting  life,  and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation  ;  but  is  passed 
from  death  unto  life,"  John  v  24.  He  hath  delivered  you  from  the 
anguish  and  pains  of  hell,  by  his  descent  into  hell ;  yea,  whatever  is, 
as  it  were,  a  death  and  hell  to  you,  shall  itself  be  cast  into  the  fire  of 
hell,  as  was  shown  to  John,  Rev.  xx.  14,  "  Death  and  hell  were  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire."  But  Jesus,  who  was  once  offered  to  taktf 
away  the  sins  of  many,  shall  appear  the  second  time  \Vithout  S»  tart^ 
them  that  look  for  him  to  salvation.    Amenr 


g« 


I J^ ) 


TrtE 


PROFITABLE  RESURRECTION 


OF  CHRISTc 


XVII.  LORD'S  DAY. 


Horn.  X.  9.  If  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jefius, 
and  shalt  believe  in  thine  heart  that  God  has  raised  him  from  the 
dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved. 

Q.  45.  JV/mt  doth  the  resurrection  of  Christ  fir o^t  us  P 
A.  That  by  his  resurrection  iie  hath  overcome  death,  that  he 
might  make  us  partakers  of  that  righteousness,  which  he  had  pur- 
chased for  us  by  his  death  :  secondly,  we  are  also  by  his  power 
raised  up  to  a  new  life  :  and  lastly,  the  resurrection  of  Christ  is  a  sure 
pledge  of  our  blessed  resurrection. 


*'Oug; 


UGHT  not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  to  enter 
into  his  glory  ?"  Thus  spake  Jesus  to  the  men  who  were  going  to 
Emmaus,  Luke  xxiv,  26.  Nothing  can  appear  more  wonderful  ta 
the  world,  than  that  he,  who  was  the  hope  of  mankind,  suffered  so 
much  :  "  Therefore  he  was  a  stumbling-block  to  the  Jews,  and  to 
the  Greeks  foolishness,"  1  Cor.  1  23.  Yea,  this  greatly  weakened 
the  hopes  of  his  disciples  also  ;  the  notion  of  an  earthly  and  ever 
prosperous  kingdom  hindered  them  from  thinking  of  a  Messiah^ 


XVII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  45.  347 

Vho  was  to  be  h«mJ)Ied  :  but  if  they  had  had  access  to  the  counsel  of 
God,  they  would  ha  e  known,  that  Christ  ought  to  suffer  these 
things,  and  so  enter  into  his  glory.  The  Son  indeed  promised  the 
Father,  in  the  eternal  counsel  oT  peace,  that  "  he  would  make  his 
soul  an  ofTering  for  sin  :  and  the  Father  promised  hiin,  that  he  should 
then  "  see  his  seed,  sliould  prolong  his  days,  have  a  portion  with  the 
great,  and  divide  the  spoil  with  tne  strong,"  Isaiah  liii.  10,  12.  As 
"the  prophets *alsb  tesuiied  beforehand  through  his  Spirit, -the  suf- 
•ferings  of  Christ  and  the  glory  that  should  follow,"  I  Peter  i.  II. 
See  Psalm  xc.  7.  cxviii.  22.  Isaiah  xlix.  4,  5.  He  should  be 
glorified  for  a  reward  of  his  painful  labour,  Isaiah  xlix.  4,5.  The 
Father  glorified  him  also,  because  he  had  humbled  himself;  so  the 
apostle  speaks,  Philip  ii.  8,  9,  '<  Bi  ing  found  in  fashion  as  a  man, 
he  humbled  hims'df  and  became  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death 
of  the  cross;  wherefore  God  hath  also  highly  exalted  him."  And 
so  he  is  not  a  stumbling-block  or  foolishness  to  tl  em  who  are  called, 
but  the  power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God  ;  as  the  instructor 
therefore,  having  spoken  largely  enough  of  the  state  of  his  humilia- 
tion, shows  also  that  he  was  exalted  and  glorified  by  'he  four  degrees 
of  his  resurrection,  ascension  to  heaven,  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of 
God  and  coming  again  to  judgment. 

We  must  discourse  at  present  only  of  his  resurrection  from  tha 
ijead  ;  with  respect  to  which  we  shall  observe, 

I.  The  nature, 

II.  The  circumstances, 

III.  The  reality, 

IV.  The  necessity,  and 

V.  The  advantages  of  his  resurrection. 

I.  We  shall  attend  in  the  first  place  to  the  nature  of  Christ's  res* 
U^rection, 

We  suppose  that  he  did  not  rise  according  to  his  Godhead,  but 
according  to  his  manhood,  which  died  ;  "  That  which  thou  sowest 
is  not  quickened,  except  it  die,"  1  Coi.  xv.  36.  This  resurrection 
consisted  in  the  re-union  of  his  body,  which  had  been  dead,  with  hi5 
soul,  and  in  the  revival  of  his  body.  Therefore  Saul  saith  that  "  he 
rose  and  revived,"  Rom.  xiv.  9.  Having  revived,  he  remained  not 
with  the  dead,  but  departed  out  of  the  grave  ;  therefore  when  the 
women  sought  him  in  the  grave,  the  angels  said  to  them,  Lukexxiv. 
5,  6.  Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the  dead  I  he  is  not  here,  but 
is  risen."  Yet  he  rose  not  in  the  same  weak  and  humble  condition, 
in  which  he  was  before  his  death ;  but  with  a  glorified,  incorrupti- 
ble, and  immortal  body  ;  for  "  we  know  that  Christ,  being  raised 


348    THE  PROFITABLE  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST. 

from  the  dead,  dieth  no  more  ;  death  hath  no  more  dominioii  over 
him,"  Rom.  vi.  9.  The  Socinians  deny  this,  and  imagine  that  he 
had  not  a  glorified,  incorruptible  and  immortal  body  during  the  forty 
days  before  his  ascension,  but  that  he  was  still  mortal  and  corrupti- 
ble, so  that  he  might  still  have  ditd,  as  long  as  he  was  not  ascended 
into  heaven.  And  do  ye  wish  to  know  the  reason  why  they  think 
so  dishonourably  of  him  ?  it  is  that  they  may  evade  the  proof  which 
"we  adduce  for  our  resurrection  with  the  same  body.  We  teach  that 
we  shall  rise  again  vith  the  same  body  in  which  we  die,  because 
Christ  arose  with  his  own  body  :  the  Socinians  say  in  opposition  to 
this,  that  we  shall  not  rise,  as  Christ  arose,  but  that  we  shall  arise^ 
glo  ified,  immortal  and  incorruptible  ;  that  Christ  had  not  a  glorified, 
incorruptible  and  immortal  body  in  his  resurrection,  because  after 
his  resurrection  he  had  still  the  humble  marks  of  his  wounds,  that 
he  aLfe  and  drank ;  but  these  things  were  not  proofs  of  a  humbled 
and  mortal  body,  but  of  the  reality  of  his  resurrection,  and  he  pre- 
duceci  them  as  such  to  iiis  unbelieving  discipks,  Luke  xxiv.  38 — 43, 
John  XX.  27,  23,  The  marks  of  the  wounds  were  indeed  proofs  that 
he  ha3  been  humbled,  but  not  that  he  was  still  humbled  :  they  were 
rather  nonourable  tokens  of  tiie  conqueror. 

But  when  we  say,  that  he  arose  glorified,  incorruptible  and  immortal, 
we  do  no.i  then  say  with  the  Lutherans,  that  he  became  omnipresent 
with  respect  to  his  manhood  in  his  resurrection  :  for  this  militates 
agaiiist  the  nature  of  his  real  manhood  :  omnipresence  is  an  attiibute 
of  his  divine  nature  which  cannot  be  communicated  to  the  human 
nature,  neither  is  the  human  nature  capable  of  it  ;  for  otherwise  the 
human  nature  would  be  changed  into  the  divine  nature  itself.  It  is 
silly  what  they  say  in  order  to  maintain  this  erroneous  opinion,  that 
his  body  penetrated  through  the  grave-stone,  when  he  arose,  and 
throjgh  the  door,  when  he  came  unexpectedly  to  his  disciples,  "the 
doors  being  shut,"  John  xx.  19,  26:  for  "the  angel  of  the  Lord 
rolled  the  stone  from  the  mouth  of  his  grave,"  Matt,  xxviii.  2,  and 
he  opened  the  door  of  the  house,  to  which  he  came,  by  his  power. 
That  the  doors  were  shut,  when  he  came  in,  only  shows  us  the  time 
when  he  came  to  them,  to  wit,  in  the  evening,  when  men  are  wont 
to  shut  the  doors  :  and  it  manifests  also  their  fear  for  the  Jews,  that 
they  shut  the  doors :  but  it  doth  not  declare  that  he  passed  through 
the  doors,  while  they  were  shut. 

II.  The  circumstances  of  his  resurrection  relate  either  to  the 
Person  who  raised  him,  or  to  the  time,  or  to  the  manner  of  his  res- 
urrection from  the  dead. 

L  The  Person  who  raised  him  was  himself.     This  he  showed 


.    XVU.  LORD'S  DAY>^.  44^.       -^     .        549 

when  he  said,  John  x.  17,  19.  <' Therefore  the  Father  doth  love 
me,  because  I  lay  down  ray  life,  that  I  may  take  it  again.  No  man 
taketh  from  me,  but  I  lay  it  down  for  myself:  I  have  power  to  lay 
it  down,  and  I  have  power  to  take  it  again."  See  John  ii.  19.  l  Pet. 
iii.  18.  The  Socinians,  whose  eirours  pervade  every  considerable 
point  of  doctrine,  deny,  yea,  deride  this,  imagining  it  to  be  impossi- 
ble, that  one,  who  is  himself  dead,  should  raise  himself  from  the 
dead  ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  they  think  thus  ;  for  they 
look  upon  him  to  be  no  more  than  a  feeble  man,  who  hath  nothing 
hut  his  human  nature  to  quicken  him.  But  since  he  is  also  the 
almighty  God,  as  v/e  have  shown  in  its  proper  place,  therefore  it  is 
not  so  absurd  and  ridiculous  to  say,  that  he  raised  himself.  It  is 
indeed  true,  that  the  Father  is  most  usually  said  to  have  raised  him  ; 
but  as  he  is  co-essential  with  the  Father,  it  was  also  his  own  work, 
which  be  did  from  the  Father,  and  the  Father  by  him  :  "  For  what 
things  soever  the  Father  doth,  these  doth  the  Son  likewise  ;  for  as 
the  Father  niiseth  up  the  dead,  and  quickeneth  them  ;  even  so  the 
Son  quickeneth  whom  he  will,"  John  v.  19,  21.  And  it  is  truly  a 
mystery,  that  the  resurrection  of  Christ  from  the  dead  is  sometimes 
ascribed  to  himself,  and  at  other  times  to  the  Father  ;  as  we  shall 
show  in  the  sequel,  that  the  Father  ought  to  have  raised  his  Son, 
and  the  Son  to  have  raised  himself,  when  v/e  shall  explain  our  fourth 
head.  The  Socinians,  who  do  not  comprehend  this,  blaspheme  what 
they  do  not  understand. 

2.  The  time  of  his  resurrection  was  the  third  day  after  his  burial  t 
this  is  the  declaration  of  the  creed,  agreeably  to  the  scriptures,  1  Cor. 
XV.  3.  We  must  know,  that  the  Jews  began  their  days  with  sunset, 
and  that  Jesus  was  laid  in  the  grave  on  Friday,  before  the  sun  was 
set,  and  this  was  the  first  day  ;  the  second,  beginning,  according  to 
the  reckoning  of  the  Jews,  with  sunset  on  Friday,  was  Saturday  ;  the 
third  day,  beginning  with  sunset  on  our  Saturday,  was  Sunday,  or 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  on  which  day,  after  he  had  lain  the  whole 
night  in  the  grave,  he  rose  early  in  the  morning.  It  is  said  indeed, 
that  he  should  rise  after  three  days,  Mark  xiii.  31,  but  it  is  usual  in 
scripture  to  say,  after  a  day,  when  the  day  is  not  yet  past :  so  Mat- 
thev/ saith,  ^^  after  six  days,"  Matt.  xvii.  1,  which  Luke  expresseth 
by  "  about  eight  days,"  Luke  ix.  28.  Christ  was  circumcised  on  the 
eighth  day,  and  it  is  said,  "  that  eight  days  were  accomplished," 
Luke  ii.  21.  See  also  Acts  ii,  1.  And  so  it  is  not  difficult  to  under- 
stand what  Jesub  saith,  Matt.  xii.  40.  "  As  Jonas  was  three  days 
^nd  three  nights  in  the  whale's  belly,  so  also  shall  the  Son  of  man 
bs  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth  j"  for  it  was 


550    THE  PROFITABLE  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST, 

customary  with  the  Jews  to  express  a  part  by  a  whole.     Esther  en* 
joined  on  ihe  Jews,  that  they  should   neither  eat  nor  drink  in  three 
days,  nii^ht  nor  day  ;  and  then  she  would  go  to  the  king,  Esther  iv. 
16,   yet  she  went  not  alter,   but  on  the  third  day  to  the  king,  chap. 
V.  1    See  this  also,  1  Sam   xxx.  1,  12,  13.     There  were  also  certain 
reasons,  why  he  did  not  rise  later  than  the  tliird  day,  to  wit,  that  he 
might  not  see  corruption,   according  to  Psalm  xvi.  10,  like  Lazarus, 
who  having  lain  three  days  in  the   grave,  stank,  John  xi.  3.9  ;  also, 
because  the  faith  of  his  disciples  would  have  been  too  much  v.cak- 
ened,  if  he  had  risen  later  than  the   third  day  ;  their  faith  began  to 
fail  even  on  the  third  day,  Luke  xxiv.  21,  what  would  then  have  be- 
come of  them,  if  he  had  risen  later  ?  Wc  might  add,  that  if  he  had 
risen  after  three  days,  it  would  have  strengthened  the  unhelief  of  the 
wicked  Jews  ;  for  they  knew  that  he  had  said,   'after  three  days  I 
will  rise  again,"  Matt,  xxvii.  63.   Moreover,  he  would  not  rise  before, 
that  he  might  not  tender  his  death  uncertain,  as  though  he  had  only 
fainted.     And  he  chose  the  first  day  of  the  week  in  particular  for  his 
resurrection,  that  he  might  hallow  it  to  be  the  Christian'    sabbath  ; 
and  therefore  that  day  is  called  the   Lord's  day,  Rev.  i.  10,  as  the 
seventh  day  of  the  week  is  called  the  sabbath  day  of  the  Lord. 

3.  The  manner  of  his  resurieclion  was  exceedingly  glorious,  aS 
the  e..rthquaK.e,  the  descent  of  the  gloricus  angel,  and  the  flight  of 
the  keepers  manifested,  Matt  xxviii.  2,  5,  4,  Vov  the  Lord  of  glory 
arose,  and  desiied  to  display  m  this  nianner  his  triumph  over  death, 
thexlevil,  sin,  and  hell. 

III.  But  that  which  is  of  the  greatest  importance  is  the  reality  of 
his  resurrection.  Christians  have  not  followed  in  this  matter  cun- 
ningly devised  fables  ;  b\it  they  can  say  with  a  full  persuasion  of 
mind,  ''  The  Lord  is  risen  indeed,"  Luke  xxiv.  34.  For  there  never 
was  any  matter  of  fact,  which  was  attended  with  so  many  evidences 
of  Its  credibility,  as  that  Jesus  arose  from  the  dead.  We  v/ill  not 
speak  now  of  the  empty  grave,  from  which  the  Jews  must  have  taken 
him,  if  he  did  not  .ise,  since  they  v/ere  the  persons,  who  had  the 
care  of  it ;  neither  will  we  alledge  tliat  God  testified  from  heaven 
above  by  an  angtl,  and  from  the  earth  beneath  by  an  earthquake, 
that  his  Son  arose  ,  hut  we  will  prove  the  resurrection  of  Christ 
particularly, 

1.  From  the  testimony  of  the  keepers,  who  showed  the  chief 
priests  all  the  things  that  were  done,"  f^Jatt,  xxviii.  11.  They  re- 
lated not  only  the  earthquake,  and  the  appearing  of  t!^e  angel,  but 
also  that  Jusus  v/as  risen  ;  for,  to  conceal  this  "  the  chief  priests  gave 
ttie  keepers  large  money^"  vrs.  12.     There  cannot  be  a  better  te^ti- 


XVH.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  45.  35\ 

jmony  than  this  of  the  keepers  ;  for  they  were  enemies,  who  would 
l^ot  bear  witness  to  the   truth,   if  they  were  not  constrained  ;  more- 
over, they  were  appointed  to  watch  the  grave,   that  the  disciples  of 
Christ  might  not  steal   him  by  nit^ht,  and  say  to  the  people.   He  is 
risen   from   the   dead,    Matt,  xxvii.   62 — C6.     When  such  persons 
testify  that  he  arose,  it  ought  to  convince  us  fully  ;  for  they  were 
best  and  fully  assured  of  it.     When  they  afterwards  said,  '-  His  dis- 
ciples c^me  by  night,  and  stole   him  away  while   we  slept,"  Matt, 
xxviii,  13,  14,  15,  they  relate  an  arrant  falsehood  ;  for  they  retracted 
their  first  testimony,  not  because  they  were  convinced,  that  they  had 
testified  a  falsehood  at  the  first,  but  because  the  chief  priests  instruct- 
ed them  to  do  so,  bribed  them  with  money,  and  secured  thtm  from 
punishment  by  the  governour.  Yea,  vvhen  they  say,  "  His  disciples 
came  by  night,  and  stole  him  away  while  we  slept,"  they  lie  so  noto- 
riously, that  it  hath  become  proverbial,  In  speaking  of  ^reat  liars,  to 
say,  he  lies  like  a  *  person  whose   office  it  is  to  watch  ;  for  this  is 
such  a  palpable  falsehood,   that  it  shames  itself,  and  establisheth  the 
truth  :  for  how  was  it  possible,  that  the  fearful  and  offended  disciples 
should  dare  to  undertake  this  ?  how  could  they  effect  it  ?  for  the 
grave  was  sealed  and  guarded  by  armed  men.  Did  the  keepers  sleep, 
and  indeed  all  of  them  ?  how  is  this  credible  ?  why  were  they  not 
punished  for  sleeping,  and  suffering  the  body  to  be  stolen,  when  they 
opght  to  have  watched  in  a  matter  of  such  great  importance  ?  When 
the  keepers  suffered   Peter  to  be  taken  from  them,  they  were  im- 
prisoned for  it,  Acts  xii.  18,  19.  If  the  keepers  slept,  how  could  they 
know  that  he  was  not  risen,  but  stolen,  and  indeed  by  his  disciples  ? 
if  the  council  themselves  believed  that  the  disciples  had  stolen  him, 
why  did  they  not  summon  the  disciples  before  them,  accuse  them, 
and  punish  them,  as  the  council  indeed  acted,  when  the  apostles  pub- 
lished his  resurrection  ?  but  the  council  never  accused  any  of  his 
disciples  of  such  a  robbery.    And  therefore  the  first  testimony  of  the 
keepers,  that  Christ  was  risen  from  the  dead,  remains  in   full  force. 
The  reality  of  Christ's  lesurrection  appears  also, 

2.  From  the  testimony  of  the  apostles  and  other  disciples.  These 
"testified  of  God,  that  he  raised  up  Christ,"  1  Cor.  xv.  15.  Their 
testimony  cannot  be  deemed  suspicious  ;  for  (a)  they  were  eye  and 
ear-witnesses,  who  had  handled  him,  had  eaten  and  drunk  with  him 
forty  days,  I  John  i.  1,  3  Acts  i.  3.  x.  40.  41.  (b)  They  were  not 
only  two  or  thrc^e  witnesses,  by  whose  mouth  every  matter  was  to  be 
established,  but  very  many,  the  twelve  apostles,  and  more  than  five 

•  This  is  the  literal  translation  of  a  Dutch  proverb^ 


352    THE  PROFltABLE  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST. 

hundred  brethren,  who  saw  him  at  one  time,  after  his  resurrection, 
of  whom  the  greater  part  were  ahve  in  Paul's  time,  and  to  whose 
testimony  he  appeals,  1  Cor.  xv.  5,  6,  7.  (c)  Ihey  were  even  slow 
to  believe  this  matter,  and  they  would  not  admit  it,  before  they  were 
assured  by  the  most  palpable  proofs,  that  he,  whom  they  saw,  was 
not  a  spirit,  but  Christ  himself,  Luke  xxiv.  37 — 48.  John  xx.  20 — 28. 
(d)  They  te5;ified  this,  not  many  years  after  it  had  happened,  and 
when  those,  who  could  confound  them,  if  they  did  not  testify  the 
truth,  were  dead,  but  at  the  very  time,  when  it  happened  ;  and  thai 
not  only  in  distant  countries,  but  in  Jerusalem  itself,  near  which  it 
happened,  and  near  the  stations  of  tlie  soldiers,  who  were  in  Jerusa- 
lem, (e)  These  witnesses  were  men,  who  loved  the  truth  ;  and 
abominated  ihe  least  lie,  as  they  manifest  in  their  writings,  (f)  They 
had  no  reason  for  propagating  their  testimony,  that  Jesus  was  risenj 
if  they  were  not  fully  assured  of  the  truth  of  it ;  for  they  could  not 
promise  themselves  any  honour  or  profit  from  it,  but  rather  shame, 
loss  and  reproach,  (g)  "  They  were  unlearned  and  ignorant  men," 
Acts  iv.  13,  and  therefore  unable  to  contrive  and  propagate  that 
Jesus  was  risen,  if  it  had  not  been  true.  They  co'ild  not  do  it  by 
force,  like  Mahomet,  who  pushed  his  fictions  in  this  manner  ;  since 
they  had  neither  riches,  arms,  nor  friends  to  assist  them.  The  reality 
of  Christ's  resurrection  appears  further, 

3.  When  we  attend  to  the  consequences  of  it.  For  instance,  (a) 
the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  apostles,  so  that  those 
rude  Galileeans  were  endued  with  the  greatest  wisdom,  and  enabled 
to  utter  it  in  every  language,  (b)  That  the  world  received  the  testimony 
of  simple  fishermen,  and  was  converted  from  its  evil  manners  to 
God  ;  yea,  though  many  were  einaged  at  the  doctrine  of  the  resur- 
rection of  Jesus,  they  were  nevertheless  subdued,  and  subjected  to 
him.  (c)  Observe  only  how  Saul  became  a  Paul ;  and  add  to  this, 
(d)  the  destruction  of  the  city,  the  temple,  and  commonwealth  of 
the  Jews.  When  we  attend  to  all  these  consequences,  and  know 
that  they  happened  agreeably  to  the  prophecies  of  Christ,  yea,  that 
they  were  foretold  even  before  him  by  the  prophets  of  the  Lord,  are 
not  our  minds  then  perfectly  convinced,  that  our  Jesus,  who  was 
crucified,  dead  and  buried,  is  truly  alive,  and  that  he  arose  from  the 
dead« 

IV.  But  as  his  resurrection  was  real,  so  it  was  also  necessary,  that 
he  should  arise,  for  "  as  it  behooved  him  to  suffer,  so  it  behooved 
him  also  to  rise  from  the  dead  on  the  third  day,"  Luke  xxiv.  46. 
It  was  not  possibL,  that  he  shguld  be  holden  of  death,"  Acts  ii.  24. 
The  reasons  are, 


XVii.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q,  45.  353 

A.  Because  it  concerned  the  Father,  that  his  Son  should  arise 
from  the  dead  ;  for,  (a)  the  Father  had  pronriised  him  this  and  fore- 
told it,  Isaiah  iiii.  8,  10.  "  He  was  taken  from  prison  and  from 
judgment :  and  who  shall  declare  his  generation,  ?  He  shall  pro- 
long his  days,"  Isaiah  Iv.  3,  "  I  will  give  you  the  sure  mercies  of 
David."  Upon  which  the  Saviour  also  grounded  his  expectation. 
when -he  said  to  his  Father,  PsaJm  xvi.  lO,  "  Thou  wilt  not  leave 
my  soul  in  hell ;  thou  wilt  not  suffer  thy  holy  One  to  see  corrup- 
tion." By  which  Peter  and  Paul  also  prov:?  the  resurrection  of 
Christ,  Acts  ii.  24 — 31.  xlii.  34—37  And  the  Saviour  also  frequent- 
ly foretold  it,  as  he  had  a  certam  knov/ledge  that  he  should  live  again 
after  his  death,  Matt.  xii.  40.  xvii.  9,  23.  John  ii.  19,  22.  (b)  The 
Father  had  proclaimed  him  to  be  his  Son  before  the  whole  worid? 
Matt.  iii.  17.  xviio  5,  This  is  denied  by  the  JeWs,  and  Jesus  had 
maintained  it.  This  dispute  was  therefore  brought  to  the  throne 
and  the  judgment-seat  of  God;  that  the  supreme  Judge  might  decide 
it :  for  Caiaphas  had  adjured  him  by  the  hving  God,  and  Jesus,  ad- 
jured in  this  manner,  confessed  it  before  God,  Matt.  xxvi.  63,  64. 
Ought  not  now  the  Judge  of  the  whole  earth  to  do  right,  and  to 
show  that  he  had  proclaimed  him  to  be  his  Son  in  truth,  and  that 
his  Son  had  been  put  to  death  unjustly  on  account  of  this  confession? 
And  how  could  the  Father  decide  this  better  than  by  raising  him 
from  the  dead,  and  so  publicly  manifesting  that  he  still  acknowledg- 
ed him  to  be  his  Son  ?  and  thus  "  he  was  declared  to  be  the  Son  df 
God  with  power,  according  to  the  Spirit  of  holiness,  by  the  resurrec- 
tion from  the  dead,"  Rom.  i.  4.  And  so  "  he  was  also  raised  up 
from  the  dead  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father,"  who  had  proclaimed 
him  to  be  his  Son  before  the  world,  Rom.  vi.  4.  (&)  The  Father  had 
constituted  him  Suretv,  that  he  might  satisfy  his  vindictive  justice 
for  the  guilt  of  the  elect.  He  had  also  fully  satisfied  for  their  guilt, 
and  had  therefore  proclaimed,  John  xix.  30.  "  It  is  finished."  And 
so  it  behooved  the  Father  to  manifest  this  by  his  resurrection,  fo 
give  him  an  acquittance,  to  discharge  him  from  his  obligation  to  die, 
to  raise  him  from  the  dead,  and  so  to  justify  him  :  therefore  Paul 
saith,  that  "  he  was  justiiied  in  the  Spirit,"  1  Tim.  iii.  16.  He  said 
himself  from  a  foresight  of  this,  that  the  Lord  would  help  him,  and 
would  raise  him  up  to  justify  him,  because  none  could  emplead  him 
any  more,  Isaiah  1.  8,  9.  "  He  is  near,  that  justifieth  me,  who  will 
contend  with  me  ?  let  us  stand  together  ;  who  is  mine  adversary  ? 
let  him  come  near  to  me.  Behold  the  Lord  God  will  help  me,  who 
is  he  that  shall  condemn  me  ? 

5o  It  was  necessary,  that  tlie  Saviour  should  rise  from   the  dead; 

3  A 


354    THE  PROFITABLE  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRlSTe 

because  it  concerned  himself  that  he  should  rise.  For  (a)  his  hu- 
man nature  was  united  to  his  divine  nature  ;  now  it  was  impossible 
that  he  should  suffer  his  body  to  see  corruption,  after  he  had  fully 
satisfied  by  his  death,  (b)  He  was  anointed  to  be  king  of  Zion, 
and  the  government  was  to  be  on  his  shoulders  :  but  this  could  not 
be,  unless  he  lived  and  arose  from  the  dead ;  for  how  should  it  ap- 
pear that  he  was  a  king  as  long  as  he  continued  under  the  power  of 
death  ?  how  could  he  rule  over  others,  as  long  as  he  was  himself  dead  ? 
therefoe  it  is  said,  Rom.  xiv,  9.  "  For  this  end  Christ  both  died, 
and  arose,  and  revived,  that  he  might  be  Lord  both  of  the  living  and 
dead,"  Matt,  xxviii.  18,  19.  The  resurrection  of  Christ  was  neces- 
sary also, 

3.  Because  it  concerns  believers ;  for  it  was  necessary  that  he 
should  be  piofitable  and  advantageous  to  them  by  his  resurrection, 
as  well  as  by  his  death.     We  must  now  therefore  explain, 

V.  the  advantages  which  believers  receive  from  his  resurrection. 
The  catechism  mtntioneth  three. 

1.  The  first  advantage  is,  '^  that  he  by  his  resurrection  hath  over- 
come death,  tliat  he  might  make  us  partakers  of  that  righteousness 
which  he  had  purchased  for  us  by  his  death-"  Since  he  satisfied 
for  guilt  by  his  death,  therefore  he  also  destroyed  him  that  had  the 
power  of  death,  that  is,  the  devil,"  Heb.  ii.  14.  Because  the  devil 
could  not  hold  him  under  the  power  of  death,  as  a  creditor,  since 
the  Judge  was  satisfied  he  endeavours  to  do  it  as  a  tyrant,  stirring 
up  his  instruments  to  keep  him  shut  up  under  death,  and  in  the  grave 
by  a  seal  and  watch.  But  since  it  was  impossible  that  he  sliould  be 
holden  any  longer  by  death,  he  manifests  that  he  is  the  mighty  God, 
he  bursts  the  prison  open,  and  goes  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer : 
therefore  he  said,  Rev.  i.  18,  "I  am  he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead  ; 
and  behold  I  am  alive  for  evermore.  Amen.  And  I  have  the  keys 
of  hell  and  of  death."  Ashe  was  alive,  he  could  render  us  parta- 
kers of  the  righteousness,  which  he  had  purchased  by  his  death, 
that  we  by  his  righteousness  might  be  justified  before  God  : 
whereas  if  he  had  not  risen,  he  could  not  impart  his  righteousness 
to  any  man,  and  would  have  evidenced  that  he  had  not  satisfie-d,  anp 
that  he  had  not  been  constituted  surety  by  God.  So  the  apostle 
Gaith,  1  Cor.  xv.  7,  "If  Christ  be  not  raised,  your  faith  is  vain,  ye 
are  yet  in  your  sins."  But,  as  ''he  was  delivered  for  our  offences, 
so  he  was  also  raised  again  for  our  justification,"  Rom.  iv.  25.  And 
therefore  believers  may,  in  consequence  of  his  resurrection,  as  an  in- 
strument of  acquittance,  showing  that  he  had  satisfied  for  guilt,  and 
purchased  righteousness,   "come  unto  God  with  the  answer  of  ?i 


XVIf.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  4S.  355 

••--ood  conscience,"  and  hunibly  request  whatsoever  he  hath  purchased 
for  thtm.     See  this  1  Peter  ill.  21. 

2.  The  second  advantage  is,   "that  v/e  by  his  power  are  raised  up 
to  a  new  life."     By  his  sacrifice  and  death  the  old  man  is  crucified, 
dead  and  buried  with  him,  as  is  shown  on  the  43d  question ;  but  it  is 
more  especially  a  fruit  of  his  resurrection,  that  the  new  life  is  raised 
up.     The  new  hfe  is  the  spiritual  life,  which  is  dead  in  the  sinner, 
but  which  is  raised  up  in  regeneration  and  sanctification,  whereby  the 
cUjct  receive  a  principle  of  life,  new  habits  and  powers,  according  to 
the  image  of  God,  are  united  to  him  by   his  Spirit,  grow  up  continu- 
ally, and  surrender  themselves  unto  him  to  serve  him,  Eph.  ii.    1. 
1  Peter  iv.  2.     Rom.  vi.  13.     This  is  effected  by  the  power  of  the 
upraised  Christ:  for  "  as  the  first  man  Adam  was  made  a   living 
soul,  so  the  last  Adam  was   made  a  quickening  Spirit,"    1  Cor.  xv. 
45.     This  pov/er  of  his  resurrecdon   Paul  wished  to  know,  Philip. 
iii.  10.     And  truly  this  new  life  is  raised  up  by  the  power  of  his  res- 
urrection, because,  (a)  he,   being  risen,  raiseth  up  the  dead  sinner, 
and  admonisheth  him  to  rise  up  also  from  the  dead  ;  "  Therefore  he 
saith,  awake  thou  that  aleepest,  and  arise  from  the   dead,  and  Christ 
shall  give  thee  light,"  Eph.  v.  14.     If  Jesus  were  not  risen,  he  would 
never  send  the  word  of  life  to  any  sinner,  (b)     His   resurrection   is 
the  pattern  after  which  we  must  raise  up  and  dispose  the  new  life  ; 
*'\ye  are  b'lrie:!  with  him  by  baptism  into  death,  that  like  as  Christ 
was  raised  up  to  the  glory  of  the  Father,  even   so   we  also  should 
walk  in  nev/ness  of  life,"  Rom.  vi.  4.  (c)     As  the   elect  are  consid- 
ered as  dying-  with  him,  so  ihey  are  also  considered  as  rising  from 
the  dead  with   him,  by  which  his  life  becomes  also  their  life  ;  for 
"  they  are  quickened  and   raised  up  with    him,"  Eph.  ii.   5,  6,    and 
"are  thus  planted  together  in  the  likeness  of  his  resurrection,"  Rom. 
vi.  5,  (d)     By  virtue  of  his  resurrection  he  also  works  this  new  life 
in  them  through  his  Spirit ;  therefore  he  said,   "  Because  I  hve,  ye 
shall  live  also,"  John  xiv.    i9.     And  he  works  this  fife  by  living  in 
them  himself,  Gal.  ii.  20.  (e)     His   resurrection  is  also  a  powerful 
motive  to  believers  to  live  for  him,  and  to  his  service  ;  as  they  are 
also  urged  to  this  by  the  resurrection  of  Christ  as  a  motive,  Rom.  vu 
%  10,  11.  (f)     Christ  being  risen  is  also   "a  fountain  of  life"  to 
them.  Psalm  xxxvi.  9,  by  which  he  hath  a  fulness  of  life,  to  commu- 
nicate  "out  of  his  fulness,  grace  for  grace,"  John  i.    16      xiv.  6» 
Finally,  (g)  he  is  the  object,  and,  as  it  were,  the  breath  of  their  life  ; 
*'  your  life  is  hidden  with  Christ  in  God,"  Coll.  iii.  3.    «  To  me  to 
live  is  Christ,"  Philip,  i,  21. 

a»  The  third  advantage  is,  "  that  the  resurrection  of  Christ  is  a 


356     THE  PROFITABLE  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST- 

sure  pledge  of  our  blessed  resurrection."     We  will  show  in  its  proper 
place,  tuu  both  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  shall  rise  again.     We 
speak  now  of  his  resuJTection  only  ac  a  sure  pledge  of  the  rcburrec* 
tion  of  birlievers  ;  but  nut  of  the  resurrection  of  the  wicked.     They 
will  surely  be  raised  up  by  Chiist  as  a  Judge,  but  not  as  a  Mediator, 
bince  he  is  not  their  »)ediator.     Because   he   arose  from  the  dead, 
they  also  surely  shall  be  raised  up  by  him,  but  not  to  be  saved,  but 
to  lie  condemned  by  him  :  for  •'  God  hath  appointed  a  day,  in  which 
he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness  by  that  man  whom  he  hath 
ordained ;  wiiereof  he  hath  given  assurance  to    all  men,  in  that   he 
huth  raised  him  f  om  the  dead,"  Acts  xviii.  3K     But  believers  shall 
arise  to  salvation,  of  which   the  resurrection  of  Christ  is   a  certahi 
pledge  to  assure  them  of  it ;  for  (a)  he   rose    again,  as  *'  the  first 
fruits  of  them  that  slept,"    1  Cor.  xv.  20,  frcm  which  it  is  certain, 
that  the  whole  harvest  of  believers  is  sanctified,  and  shall  be  gathered 
in,  1  Cor.  xv.  22.  (b)     Christ  arose  as  a  conqueror  of  death,  not  only 
for  himself,  but  also  for  hi    friends,  whom  he  loved  dez^rly  :  for  "  he 
died,  and  rose  agtiin  for  them,"   2   Cor.  v    15,  from  which  it  is  cer- 
tain, that  they  shall  not  be  holdea   by  death,  but  shall  be  raised  up. 
This  is  evident  from    I  Cor,   xv.  54 — 57,     "  When  this  corruptible 
shall  have  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortai  shall  have  put  on  im- 
Xnortality,  then  shall  be  brought  to  pass  the   saying  that  is   written. 
Death  is  swallowed  up  in  \ictory.     O  death,    where    is  thy    sting  ? 
O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?    The  sting  of  death  is   sin  ;  and  the 
strength  of  sin  is  the  law.     But  thank's  be  to  God,  which  giveth   us 
the  victory   through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  (c)     He  rose  also  as 
the  Head  of  believers,  who  are  his  members,  and  who  must  therefore 
be  also  raised  up  ;  for  he  cannot  be  a  living  head  of  dead  members. 
And  therefore  believers  may  say  with  a  sure  expectation  of  him, 
"  Who  shall  change  our  vile  body,  that  it  may  be  fashioned  like  unto 
his  glorious  body,"  Philip,  iii.  21,  (d)     He  rose  also  as  Lord  to  rule 
over  them  ;  now  he   could  not  rule  over  them,   if  he   did  not  raise 
them  from  the  dead  ;  "  for,  to  this  end  Christ  died,   and  rose,   and 
revived,  that  he  might  be  Lord  both  of  the  dead  and  living,"    Rom. 
xiv.  9.  (e)     And  he  rose  also  as  their   pattern,  to  which   they  must 
be    made  conformable  :  for  *'  as  we    have    borne    the    image    of 
the  earthy,  we  shall  also  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly,"     1  Cor. 
vv.  49. 


XVII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  45.  357 


APPLICATION. 

What  we  have  now  observed  must  certainly  tend  to  demonstrate 
the  sincerity  of  our  doctrine  against  the  Socinians,  who  slander  us,  as 
though  we  ascribed  the  whole  efficacy  of  the  salvation  of  believers 
only  to  the  death  of  Chist,  and  no  parr  to  his  resurrection.  For  we 
say  that  his  death  would  have  been  of  no  avail,  and  he  could  not 
have  rendered  believers  partakers  of  it,  if  he  had  not  been  raiised- 
from  the  dead.  And  therefore  the  resurrection  of  Christ  perfects  the 
consolation,  which  the  saints  receive  from  his  death,  so  that  they 
may  say  with  the  high  praises  of  God  in  their  mouths,  on  account  of 
the  resurrection  of  Christ,  "  Who  is  he  that  condemneth,  it  is 
Christ  that  died,  yea,  rather  that  is  also  risen  fiom  the  dead," 
Rom.  viii.  34. 

See  also  herein  the  greatest  proof  of  the  truth  and  purity  of  the 
Christian  faith  against  heathens  and  Jews  ;  for  if  Christ  be  risen, 
his  doctrine  is  also  true  and  divine ;  for  he  rested  th«^  final  decision 
of  the  matter,  whether  he  was  the  true  Messiah,  who  was  sent  by 
God,  or  not,  upon  the  reality  of  his  resurrection  ;  for  when  his  adver- 
saries asked  of  him  a  sign,  as  a  proof  that  he  was  the  Christ,  the 
Messiah,  he  gave  them  no  other  sign  than  that  as  Jonas  had  been 
three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  whale's  belly,  so  he  should  be 
three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth,  Matt.  xii.  40, 
See  also  John  ii.  18,  19.  The  Jews  had  also  observed  this  sayings 
and  therefore  they  also  secured  the  grave,  that  Jesus  might  not  be 
taken  from  them  by  stealth,  and  it  might  appear,  as  though  he  were 
risen  Matt,  xxviii.  Yea,  the  apostles  also  rested  the  truth  of  Chris- 
tianity  upon  the  reality  of  the  resurrection  of  Jesus.  See  particularly 
1  Cor.  XV.  14 — 19.  As  v/e  have  now  fully  proved,  that  Jesus  really 
arose  from  the  dead,  we  conclude  with  perfect  assurance,  that  the 
faith  of  Christians  is  the  pure  truth. 

Although  all  who  profess  themselves  to  be  Christians  will  own 
that  Jesus  is  risen,  and  is  therefore  the  true  Messiah,  according  to 
the  scripture,  and  that  the  doctrine  which  he  and  the  apostles 
taught  is  consequently  the  truth  ;  nevertheless,  when  the  matter  is 
rightly  considered,  we  shall  find  that  the  Pelagians  and  Semipelagi- 
ans,  to  whom  nearly  all  those,  who  ai'e  not  of  our  church,  have  joined 
themselves,  deny  the  power  of  Christ's  resurrection  ;  for  the  Socin- 
ians hold  that  the  rightco\isness  purchased  by  his  death  is  nothing 
but  the  publication  of  a  new  law,  which  is  an  improvement  of  the 
Uv/  of  Moses  :  the  Remonstrants  teach  nothing  of  it,  but  only  that  he 


358    THE  PROFITABLE  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST. 

satisfied  the  v/i!I  of  God,  and  rendered  God  in  some  manner  recon- 
cikahle  to  us  ;  and  the  Papists  say  that  the  righteousness  of  Christ 
merited  that  their  good  works  can  merit,  and  thus  become  their 
righteousness  before  God,  or  a  pan  of  it.  And  so  Christ  hath  no 
righteousness  to  apply.  Do  they  speak  of  any  application,  they  deny 
It  in  fact ;  for  t!iey  ascribe  all  efficacious  working  to  free-will,  and  to 
their  own  activity.  The  reformed  church  alone  confesses  and  be- 
lieves the  power  of  Christ's  resurrection  in  her  doctrine  of  this 
Loid's  day,  because  this  is  according  to  the  word  of  God,  which  we 
have  shown  in  order. 

Let  none  of  us  however  think  that  we  believe  the  power  of  the 
resurrection  of  Christ,  and  partake  of  the  advantages  of  iu  because  it 
is  preached  to  us,  is  understood  and  professed  by  us ,  for  "  many 
have  the  name  that  they  live,  v/hile  they  are  dead,"  Rev.  ii.  1.  There- 
fore it  becomes  us  to  examine  ourselves  whether  v/e  do  truly  partake 
of  the  advantages  of  Christ's  resurrection,  and  Itit  each  one  attend 
diligently,  and  see  whether  he  can  apply  to  himself  what  v;e  shall 
say.     These  do  nov/  truly  partake  of  these  advantages  : 

1 .  They  who  partake  of  his  righteousness.  He  doth  not  render  u 
person  a  partaker  of  his  righteousness  immediately,  without  any  in- 
tervening act  of  the  person  J  but  by  faith, -which  he  giveth  to  him; 
the  apostle  mentions  this  evidence,  Rom.  x.  9,  10,  "If  thou  shalt 
confess  with  thy  mouth  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  shalt  believe  in  thine 
heart  that  God  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved, 
*5  For  v/ith  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness,  and  with  the 
mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salvation."  They  see  by  faith  that 
there  is  no  righteousness  nor  worthiness  at  all  in  themselves,  or  ia 
their  best  works,  by  v/hich  they  can  stand  before  Cod.  They  see 
this  not  only  as  a  truth  out^of  them.selves  in  the  word,  but  in  them- 
selves, so  that  they  regard  it  with  concern  and  solicitude  ;  and  as 
persons  who  are  self-condemned,  hungering  and  thirsting  through 
faith,  they  take  their  refuge  to  him,  that  they  may  be  found  in  him., 
and  have  his  rigliteousness,  may  rest  and  glory  in  him,  and  thus  con- 
fess him.     See  this  in  the  example  of  Paul,  Philip,  iii.  7 — 10. 

2.  They  who  are  raised  up  by  his  resurrection  to  a  new  life.  A 
life  altogether  different  from  the  former  takes  place  in  them  ;  for 
»'  if  any  man  be  in  Christ  Jesus,  he  is  a  new  creature  ;  old  things  are 
passed  away,  behold  all  things  are  become  new,"  2  Cor.  v.  17.  They 
who  were  dead  are  made  alive,  Eph.  ii.  5,  G.  The  eyes  of  their 
understandings  are  opened,  so  that  they  see  and  know  God  and 
C.'irist  by  a  new  and  heavenly  light,  which  beams  on  them  from  the 
face  of  God,    2  Cor.    iv-  C.     They   have  ears  to  hear,  so  that   the 


XVir.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  45,  359 

word  of  God  penetrates  to  their  hearts,  and  subjects  their  souls  to 
the  obedience  of  the  Lord,  2  Cor.  x.  4,  5.  Thev  have  also  a  right 
taste  and  rehsh  for  the  good  things  of  God's  house  :  to  Uve  with 
and  for  God,  and  in  fellowship  with  him,  is  the  sweetest  of  ail  sweet 
things  to  them ;  ''  They  taste  that  the  Lord  is  gracious,"  and  there- 
fore they  are  exceedingly  desirous  of  this,  1  Peter  ii.  2,  3.  May 
they  not  attain  to  the  enjoyment  of  it,  and  doth  the  Lord  hide  his 
countenance  from  them,  tiiey  have  a  painful  feehng  of  it :  yea,  the 
Jeast  sin  which  occasioneth  it,  is  bitter  to  them,  and  their  hearts, 
smite  them  on  account  of  it,  1  Sam.  xxiv.  6.  2  Sam.  xxiv.  10.  Yea, 
since  they  are  alive,  they  will  be  averse  from  dead  sinners,  and  their 
dead  sins,  and  they  choose  the  society  and  coversation  of  the  living  : 
"  They  contemn  viie  persons,  and  honour  them  that  fear  the  Lord,'* 
Psalm  XV.  4.  1  John  iii.   14, 

3.  They  to  whom  the  resurrection  of  Christ  is  a  sure  pledge  of 
their  blessed  resurrection.  This  doth  not  imp'y  that  they  are  always 
assured  of  their  blessed  resurrection  :  O  no,  they  are  again  and 
again  distressed  with  fear  :  yet  they  are  exceedingly  set  upon  the 
blessed  resurrectionv  and  exceedingly  d-^sirous  of  it,  on  account  of, 
and  through  tiie  resurrection  of  Jesus.  See  2  Cor.  v.  2 — 5.  And 
that  they  may  not  deceive  themselves  here  with  vain  imaginations, 
they  will  examine  themselves  repeatedly,  and  will  give  themselves 
no  rest,  until  they  have  indisputable  evidences,  and  the  testimony  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  that  they  are  the  children  of  God,  and  that  "  he 
saith  to  their  souls,  I  am  thy  salvation,"  Psalm  xxxv.  3. 

Is  it  thus  with  you,  hearers  ?  or  do  ye  know  nothing  of  all  this  ? 
doth  it  suffice  you  that  ye  have  only  an  agreeable  hope  that  all  will 
be  well  with  you  ?  know  then,  that  ye  have  not  yet  any  part  in  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  in  the  new  life  and  blessed  resurrection  ; 
for  ye  are,  though  not  heathens  by  profession,  nevertheless  without 
grace ;  "  ye  are  without  Christ,  aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of 
Israel,  and  strangers  from  the  covenants  of  promise,  having  no  hope, 
and  without  God  in  the  world,"  Eph.  ii.  12,  and  therefore  ye  are  not 
yet  "  born  again,  and  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God,"  John 
iii.  5.  And  what  a  deplorable  case  I  ye  shall  die  and  be  buried, 
without  ever  having  yet  lived.  It  is  true,  ye  shall  rise  again  :  but 
alas !  what  will  it  be  !  wlien  ye  shall  "  go  forth  to  the  resurrection 
of  damnation?"  John  v.  29.  "Ye  shall  awake  to  shame  and  ever- 
lasting contempt,"  Dan.  xii.  2.  And  therefore,  friends,  "  to  day,  if 
ye  will  hear  his  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts,"  Psalm  xcv.  7,  3« 
"Awake,  tliou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead,  and  Christ 
shall  give  thee  light,"  Eph,  v»  14, 


S60    THE  PROFITABLE  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRiSTc 

But,  believers,  ye  who  ate  partakers  of  his  righteousness,  the 
new  life,  and  the  hope  of  the  blessed  resurrestion  through  his  res- 
tirrection. 

1.  Exercise  often  fuith  in,  and  with  respect  to  his  resurrection-  This 
is  the  greatest  object  of  faith,  and  wt-  render  his  resurrection  profita" 
ble  to  us  by  faitii,  as  we  have  jUst  now  shown  from  Rom  x  9,  10*. 
Let  yout  faith  then  be  active  here,  (a)  in  acknowledging  and  receiv- 
int>,  upon  so  many  evidences,  the  doctrine  of  his  resurrection,  with 
an  trievation  of  mind,  as  a  great  and  real  truth.  It  is  not  enough  to 
suppose!  to  be  a  truth,  for  ttiis  doth  not  derive  any  power  to  the 
soul  from  his  resuirection  ;  but  there  must  he  an  actual  assent  to  it 
With  an  elevation  of  mind,  so  that  we  can  say  from  the  contemplation 
of  tiiia  truth,  *'•  the  Lord  is  risen  indeed,"  as  the  apostle  saith,  Luke 
xxiv*  Si.  Because  we  do  not  do  this  more,  therefore  we  mourn  and 
compLiin,  like  the  disciples,  who  did  not  believe  the  testimony  con- 
cerning his  resurrection  :  yea,  this  is  the  reason  why  our  hearts  are 
distmbed  with  so  many  wicked  injeciions  concerning  God,  his  truth, 
and  our  blessed  exoectation.  What  causes  the  soul  to  fear  so  from 
time  to  time  that  her  faith  will  be  in  vain,  that  she  is  yet  in  her  .sins, 
that  she  will  be  lost,  and  be  of  all  men  the  most  miserable  ?  Is  it  not 
because  she  doth  not  exercise  an  active  historical  faith  in  this  truth  ? 
See  what  shakings  it  occasions,  when  we  neglect  to  exercise  an 
active  faith  in  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  I  Cor.  xv.  14,  15,  17,  18^ 
19.  (b)  Exercise  faith  in  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  in  order  to  infer 
therelVoiTi  your  grer^t  advantage  and  happiness;  for  if  he  be  risen, 
ye  have  an  interest  and  property  in  his  righteousness  ;  he  hath  also 
made  you  alive,  and  "  begotten  you  to  a  lively  hope,  through  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ,"  I  Peter  i.  3.  Can  ye  not  perceive 
this,  because  ye  are  not  led  into  it  so  clearly,  in  such  a  lively  manner, 
and  so  sensibly  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  ?  Christians  have  their  ra- 
tional understanding,  and  must  therefore  endeavour  to  be  active  here 
not  only  with  their  feehngs,  and  with  wonderful  raptures;  but  also 
with  their  rational  faculties  ;  what  else  is  the  meaning  of  those  words, 
which  we  read,  Rom.  vi  10,  11.  '' In  that  he  died,  he  died  unto 
sin  once  ;  but  in  that  he  liveth,  he  liveth  unto  God.  Likewise 
reckon  ye  also  yourselves  to  be  dead  indeed  unto  sin  ;  but  alive  unto 
God  through  Jesus  Clirist  our  Lord."  What  is  the  consequence^ 
when  "the  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us,"  is  it  not,  "  that  we  judge 
that  if  one  died  for  all,  then  were  all  dead  ?"  2  Cor.  v.  14,  15,  and 
doth  it  not  also  cause  us  to  judge  that  if  one  be  risen  for  all, 
then  are  all  risen  ?  if  we  were  only  active  in  a  rational  manner,  we 
should  obtain  more  and  higher  actings  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord*  (c,'* 


XVII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  45.  361 

liCt  your  faith  act  also  upon  the  resiirrection  of  Christ,  by  improving 
it  to  your  advantage  and  profit ;  (a)  by  pleading  with  the  Father  by  • 
**  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience,"  1  Peter  lii.  21,  upon  ihe  ground 
of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  which  iiath  porrured  for  you  an  interest' 
in  his  purchased  righteousness,  as  Vv-e  do,  v»'hen  praying  for  purchas-' 
ed  grace,  we  say  to  God  in  this,  or  some  other  manner,  hath  r-ot 
thy  Son  satisfied  for  me,  and  purchased  all  righteousness  and  g-race  ? 
hast  tliou  not  raised  h?m  up  from  the  dead,  and  thus  manifested  that 
thou  wast  satisfied,  and  that  be  v.as  made  to  me  of  thee  wisdom, 
righteousness,  sanctification  and  redemption  ?  This  truly  conveys 
much  grace  to  the  soul.  Or,  (b)  by  uniting  yourse  ves  to  the  living 
Jesus,  in  order  to  receive  from  him  continually  the  influence  of  the 
new  life  :  «  I  live,"  saith  that  great  man,  Gal.  ii.  20,  "  yet  not  I,  but 
Christ  livelh  in  me  :  and  the  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I 
live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God."  As  Elisha  stretched  himself 
once  and  again  upon  the  dead  child,  and  thus  restored  it  to  life,  2 
Kings  iv.  33,  34,  35,  so  ought  the  believer  often  to  cast  and  stretch 
himself  upon  the  living  Jesus,  until  he  receives  warmth  and  life 
from  him.  Or  (c)  by  looking  for  your  blessed  resurrection  through 
him  with  a  lively  hope,  as  Job  did,  when  he  said,  "  I  know  that  my 
Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the 
earth.  And  though,  after  my  skin,  worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in 
my  flesh  shall  I  see  God  :  whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine 
eyes  shall  behold,  and  not  another :  my  reins  long  exceedingly 
within  me,"  *  Job  xix.  25,  26,  27. 

2.  Let  the  resurrection  of  the  Lord  Jesus  be  your  boasting  and 
joy.  When  ye  contemplate  the  wonders,  the  reality,  and  advan* 
tages  of  his  resurrection,  it  will  ravish  and  transport  your  souls  with 
marvellous  joy.  \''erily  Christ,  the  angels,  and  all  the  beUevers  wer6 
wonderfully  pleased,  when  he  was  risen  ;  yea,  the  ancient  believers 
rejoiced  in  the  expectation  of  his  resurrection,  when  they  said  in  the 
Spirit,  "  The  stone  which  the  builders  refused  is  become  the  head- 
stone of  the  corner.  This  is  the  Lord's  doing,  and  it  is  marvellous 
in  our  eyes.  This  is  the  day  that  the  Lord  hath  made,  we  will  re- 
joice and  be  glad  in  it."  Christians  ought  then  also  especially  to 
abstain  from  labour  on  their  day  of  rest ;  and  they  ought  therefore 
to  meditate  much  on  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  to  speak  much  of  it, 
and  rejoice  together  on  account  of  it.  Hear  how  the  scripture  calls 
on  you  to  do  this,  2  Tim.  ii.  8.  "  Remember  that  Jesus  Christ  was 
raised  from  the  dead." 

*  Thig  16  agreeable  to  the  Dutch  tratislation, 
3  B 


362    THE  PROFITABLE  RESURRECTION  OF  CHRIST. 

3.  Show  yourselves  now  also  alive,  and  raised  from  the  dead  i 
**  His  love  ought  to  constrain  you  to  live,  not  any  more  to  yourselves, 
but  to  him  who  died  for  yoi',  and  rose  again,"  2  Cor.  v.  14,  15. 
Read  the  sixth  chapter  of  the  epistle  of  Paul  to  the  Romans,  and 
see  what  motives  he  derives  from  a  consideration  of  his,  and  there- 
fore also  of  your  spiritual  death  and  resurrection,  to  live  to  your 
living  Lord  ;  dismiss  therefore  from  you  the  dead,  your  deadly  sins, 
and  your  dead  languor  in  good  works,  that  ye  may  not  seek  the 
living  Jesus  among  the  dead,  and  may  do  his  will  heartily,  with 
sincere  love,  and  with  liveliness. 

4.  Let  the  resurrection  of  the  Lord  Jesus  also  administer  consola* 
tion  to  you.  Are  ye  fearful  of  any  bodily  or  spiritual  danger  ?  "  Fear 
not  ye ;  for  ye  seek  Jesus  who  was  crucified  ;  he  is  risen,"  Matt* 
xxviii.  5,  6.  Do  ye  miss  him,  hath  he  withdrawn  so  far  from  you, 
that  he  seems  to  be  entirely  and  for  ever  taken  away  from  you,  he 
will  retuni  to  you  again  in  mercy,  and  say,  "  Mary,"  behold  here 
am  I,  See  John  xx.  11 — 16.  Doth  your  hope  begin  to  languish,  like 
that  of  the  men  who  went  to  Emmaus ;  he  will  new-quicken  and 
new-enliven  it,  and  enable  you  to  say,  "  Did  not  our  hearts  burn 
within  us,  while  he  talked  with  us  by  the  way,  and  while  he  opened 
to  us  the  scriptures?"  Luke  xxiv.  32.  Is  your  peace  interrupted; 
your  Lord,  who  is  risen,  "  saith,  Peace  be  unto  you,"  John  xx.  19, 
21.  Doth  it  grieve  you,  that  ye  are  so  little  influenced  by  the  Spirit 
with  respect  to  your  hearts  and  actions ;  since  Jesus  is  risen,  he  will 
in  his  own  time  breathe  upon  you,  and  say,  "  Receive  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  John  xx.  22.  Yea,  his  Spirit  shall  not  be  taken  away  from 
you,  but  abide  with  you,  to  raise  you  also  from  the  dead,  according 
to  the  words  of  Paul,  Rom.  viii.  1 1.  "If  the  Spirit  of  him  that  raised 
up  Jesus  from  the  dead  dwell  in  you,  he  that  raised  up  Christ  from 
the  dead  shall  also  quicken  your  mortal  bodies  by  his  Spirit  that 
dwelleih  in  you."  Amen. 


(^63  ) 


CHRIST^S  PROFITABLE  ASCENSION 


INTO  HEAVEN. 


XVII.  LORD'S  DAY. 


Acts  i.  9,  10)  1 1,  And  when  he  had  spoken  these  things,  while 
they  beheld,  he  was  taken  up,  and  a  cloud  recei\ed  him  out  of 
their  sight.  And,  while  they  looked  steadfastly  toward  heaven, 
as  he  went  up,  behold,  two  men  stood  by  them  in  white  apparel; 
which  also  said,  Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazm^  up  into 
heaven  ?  this  same  Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven? 
shall  so  come,  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven. 

Q*  46.  Hqw  dost  thou  understand  these  words^  ^^  He  ascended  into 
heaven  .?'* 

A.  That  Christ,  in  sight  of  his  disciples,  was  taken  up  from  earth 
inle  heaven,  and  that  he  continues  there  for  our  interest,  until  he 
come  again  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead. 

Q*  4t7.  Is  710 1  Christ  tfien  with  us  even  to  the  end  of  the  iworid,  as^ 
he  hath  promised  ? 

A-  Christ  is  very  man  and  very  God  :  with  respect  to  his  humaU 
nature,  he  is  no  more  on  earth  ;  but  with  respect  to  his  Godhead, 
majesty,  grace  and  Spirit,  he  is  at  no  time  absent  from  us. 

Q.  48.  £iit  if  his  human  nature  is  not  firesent,  ivherever  his  God- 
head isy  are  not  then  these  ttvo  natures  in  Christ  separate  from  one 
another  ?' 


36i  CHRIST'S  PROFITABLE  ASCENSION,  Sec 

A.  Not  at  all ;  for  since  his  Godhead  is  incomprehensible  and 
omnipresent,  it  must  necessarily  follow,  that  the  same  is  not  limited 
with  the  human  nature  he  assumed,  and  yet  remains  personally 
united  to  it. 

Q.  49.  0/  what  advantage  to  us  is  Christ's  ascension  into  heaven  ? 

A.  First,  that  he  is  our  advocate  in  the  presence  of  his  Father  in 
heaven  ;  secondly,  that  we  have  our  flesh  in  heaven  as  a  sure  pledge, 
that  he  as  the  head  will  also  take  up  to  himself  us  his  members: 
thirdiy,  tliat  he  sends  us  his  Spirit,  as  an  earnest,  by  whose  power 
^Te  ''  seek  the  things  which  ar?  above,  where  Christ  sitteth  on  the 
ngat  hand  of  God,  and  not  things  on  earth." 


\N^ 


HEN  the  high  priest  was  about  to  make  an  atonement  for 
himself,  for  his  household,  and  all  the  people,  on  the  great  day  of 
atonement,  according  to  Lev.  xvi.  he  was  obliged,  besides  other  cere- 
mon  es,  to  slay  a  bullock  and  a  ram,  to  enter  with  their  blood  into 
the  holy  of  holies,  to  sprinkle  it  on  the  mercy-seat,  and  to  take  a 
censer  with  burning  coals,  and  put  incense  thereon,  that  he  might 
cover  the  mercy-seat  with  the  cloud  of  the  incense. 

These  things  were  certainly  allegorical.  This  law  was  "  a  shadow 
of  things  lo  come,  ths  body  of  which  is  Christ,"  Coll  ii  17.  We 
may  not  doubt  but  that  the  holy  of  holies  signified  the  third  heaven  ; 
the  high  pricst  shadowed  forth  the  Messiah  ;  the  slaying  of  the  bul- 
lock and  of  the  ram,  had  respect  to  the  suffering  and  death  of  our 
Mediator  ;  the  entrance  of  the  high  priest  into  the  holy  of  holies 
withihe  blood  and  incense  represented  the  emrance  and  ascension 
of  Christ  into  heaven,  to  present  the  blood  of  his  atonement  to  his 
Father,  and  enforce  it  with  the  incense  of  his  intercession,  as  an  of- 
fering. Let  none  imagine  that  this,  though  a  pleasant,  is  an  un- 
grounded allusion,  contrived  by  one  or  another ;  the  Holy  Ghost 
himself  reveals  this  mystery  to  us  by  his  wise  apostle,  Heb.  ix, 
12—24. 

Inasmuch  as  the  Lord  Jesus  is  exhibited  to  us  in  the  fifteenth  and 
sixteenth  Lord's  days,  as  a  sacrifice  slain  for  atonement,  v/e  see  him, 
^afte""  he  had  shown  himself  alive  by  many  infallible  tokens,  as  it  is 
represented  in  the  seventeenth  Lord's  day)  enter  by  his  ascension 
into  heaven,  into  the  true  sanctuary,  with  his  own  blood,  in  order 
to  be  our  advocate  in  the -presence  of  his  Father,  to  fix  our  hopes 
"upon  heaven,  and  to  render  us  heavenly-minded.  This  is  the  sum 
of  the  eighteenth  Lord's  day. 


XVIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  46—49.  365 

There  are  four  particulars  in  this  Lord's  clay,  which  reqitire  our 
consideration,  with  respect  to  the  ascension  of  Christ. 

I.  The  nature. 

II.  The  reality. 

III.  The  necessity,  and 

IV.  The  advantages  of  his  ascension. 

I.  The  first  particular  is  (1)  explained  in  the  forty  sixth  qiiestior/^ 
and  (2)  rescued  from  two  objections  in  the  forty-eighth  question. 

We  ir.ust  explain  then  in  the  first  place  the  nature'  of  Christ's 
ascension,  that  Ave  may  the  more  easily  refute  those  who  oppose  us 
in  this  matter,  and  may  exhibit  more  emphatically  the  important 
salvation,  which  is  procured  for  believers  by  this  ascension.  We 
iTiust  know  beforehand,  that  neiiher  the  Father,  nor  the  Holy  Ghost, 
but  only  the  Son  of  God,  or  Christ  ascended  into  heaven  :  not  ac- 
cording to  his  divine,  but  according  to  his  human  nature,  which 
alone  was  capable  of  a  change  of  place  ;  but  the  divine  nature,  being- 
omnipresent,  is  incapable  of  a  change  of  place.  It  is  true,  that  the 
Godhead  is  sometimes  said  to  ascend :  "  God  went  up  from  Abra- 
ham," saith  Mosjs,  Gen.  xvii.  22,  but  this  doth  not  denote  that  God 
departs  from  earth,  and  enters  into  heaven  with  his  essence,  but  that  he 
takes  up  the  visible  token  of  his  special  presence  from  men  :  as 
when  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  the  visible  token  of  the  divine  presence, 
was  carried  up  to  Zion,  they  sang,  "  God  is  gone  up  with  a  shout," 
Psalm  xlvii.  S.  And  we  might  also  say  that  Christ  ascended  in  this 
manner  into  heaven  with  respect  to  his  Godhead,  because  the  God- 
head took  up  its  human  nature,  in  which  it  manifested  itself  especi- 
ally and  personally  present,  into  heaven  from  among  men.  And  so 
"he  ascended  even  as  he  descended.  See  John  iii.  13.  xvi.  28  Eph. 
iv.  9,  10.  He  did  not  descend  from  the  Father  out  of  heaven,  ac- 
cording to  his  manhood,  but  according  to  his  Godhead,  v/hich  mani- 
fested itself  personally  present  in  its  human  nature.  John  teacheth 
us  this  most  emphatically,  when  he  saith,  "  The  Word  was  made 
flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  (and  we  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of 
the  only  begotten  of  the  Father),"  John  i.  14.  In  the  same  manner 
he  also  ascended,  when  the  Godhead  took  up  its  human  nature  into 
heaven. 

This  being  premised,  we  will  explain  his  ascension  into  heaven 
more  particularly  with  respect  to  the  circumstances  1,  of  place,  2, 
of  time,  3,  of  persons,  4,  of  agents,  and  5,  of  qualities. 

1.  The  first  circumstance  of  Christ's  ascension  is  the  place  from 
which,  and  the  place  to  which  he  ascended.  The  place  from  which 
he  ascended  was  the  earth  ;  this  lower  world  ;  ^-  He  should  depart 


365  CHRIST'S  PROFITABLE  ASCENSION,  &c. 

out  of  this  world,  and  go  unto  the  Father,"  John  xiii.  1.  "  When 
he  should  go  to  the  Father,  he  should  leave  the  world,"  chaj).  xvi. 
28.  And  it  was  particularly  "  the  mouut  of  Olives,  lying  a  sabbath- 
days  journey  from  Jerusalem,"  Acts  i.  12.  This  mountain  he  had 
made  the  place  of  his  usual  resort  for  prayer :  there  where  he  had 
so  often  sent  up  his  scul  toward  heaven,  he  would  now  ascend  up  to 
heaven  in  body  and  soul  together. 

By  this  mountain  lay  the  village  of  Bethany,  and  it  was  near  this 
village  where  he  ascended  into  heaven,  as  Luke  relates,  Luke  xxiv. 
50,  51.     He  would  thus  make  that  house  of  affliction  *  a  house  of 
glorification   for   himself.     The   place   to  which   he  ascended  was 
"  heaven,  into  which  he  was  taken  up,"  Luke  xxiv.  51.  Acts  i.  1 1. 
He  was  not  taken  up  only  into  the  air,  which  is  also  called  heaven^ 
Matt.  vi.  2(i,  nor  into  the  firmament,  the  starry  heaven,  called  *'  God's 
heaven,"  Psalm  viii.  3,  but  "  far  above  all"  visible  "  heavens,"  Eph. 
iv.  10,  and  so  into  the  third  heaven,  mto  which  Paul  was  caught  up> 
2  Cor.  xii.  2,  called  "  the  heaven  of  heavens,"    1  Kings  viii-  27,  by 
which  we  cannot  understand  with  the  Lutherans,  who  hold  that  the 
body  of  Christ  became  omnipresent,  the  state  of  happiness,  and  God 
himself,  who  is  every  where  ;  but  a  real  place  so  called,  into  which 
he  entered  by   his  ascension,  and  from  which  he  is  not  absent  with 
respect  to  his  manhood  ;  for  "  he   left  the  world,   and  went  to  the 
Father,"  John  xvi.  28,  and  "  he  departed  out  of  the  world  unto  the 
Father,"  John  xiii.  1.   As  this  third  heaven,  into  which  he  ascended, 
is  also  described  as  a  limited  place,  distinct  from  the  earth,  and  is 
therefore  called  "  Paradise,"  2  Cor.  xii.  4,  "  The  house  of  his  Father, 
in  which  there  are  many  mansions,"  John  xiv.  2,   "  The  palace,  and 
throne  of  God,"  Psalm  xi.  4.  Isaiah  Ixvi.  1.     "The  city  which  hath 
foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God,"   Heb.  xi.  10,  beings 
the  high'cst  heaven,"  Heb.  i.  3,  where  Jesu-.  is,  as  in  a  place,  "  sitting 
on  the  right  hand  of  God,"  Coll.  iii.  1,  "  from  which  place  believers 
albo  wait  for  him,"  I  Thess.  i.  10,  and  "  to  which  he  will  also  take 
up  "  all  the  saints  to  him,  John  xiv.    3.  Paul  saith   indeed  that  "  he 
ascended  up  far  above  all  heavens,"  Eph.  iv.    10,  but  this  doth  not 
denote  that  he  is  not  in   heaven,    as  in  a  place,  but  present  every 
where  with  his   human   nature :  for   his  ascending  up  far  above  all 
heavens  is  opposed  to  his  descending  into  the  lower  parts  of  the 
earth,  vrs.  9.     Now  as  we  cannot   say  that  his  descending  into  the 
lower  parts  of  the  earth  denotes  that  he  became  omnipresent,  so  we 
cannot  say  that  his  ascending  up  far  above  all  heavens  denotes  that 

•  The  anthor  alludes  to  the  meaning  of  the  name  Bethany,  which  signifies 
•\  houae  of  affliction. 


XVlIi.  LOilD'S  DAY.  Q.  46—49.  36/ 

he  became  omnipresent ;  but  the  apostle  intimateth  that  Christ  was 
by  his  ascension  glorified  to  the  highest  degree  in  the  third  heaven, 
(which  is  far  above  all  visible  heavens)  as  he  was  humbled  to  the 
lowest  degree  in  his  incarnation,  descending  into  the  lower  parts  of 
Ihe  earth. 

2  The  time  of  his  ascension  desetves  our  attention,  as  well  as  the 
place.  This  was  forty  days  after  his  resurrection.  Moses  was  forty 
days  with  God  on  the  mount ;  just  so  many  days  Elijah  travelled  in 
the  strength  of  the  meat  which  he  had  received  of  the  angel,  until  he 
came  to  the  mount  of  God  :  Jesus  was  presented  to  the  Lord  on  the 
fortieth  day  after  his  birth,  Luke  ii.  22,  according  to  the  law,  Lev, 
xii  2,  4,  6.  He  was  also  forty  days  in  the  wilderness,  fasting,  that 
he  might  be  tempted  of  the  devil,  Matt.  iv.  1^-1 1.  Thus  he  also 
ascended  into  heaven  forty  days  after  his  resurrection.  He  would 
not  ascend  sooner,  that  he  might  instruct  his  apostles  so  long  in  the 
things  pertaining  to  his  kingdom,  and  give  them  the  most  certain 
proef  that  he  was  really  arisen,  that  there  might  not  remain  the  least 
suspicion  concerning  this  matter  ;  for  "  he  was  taken  up,  after  he 
had  through  the  Holy  Ghost  giveii  commandments  unto  the  apos- 
tles, whom  he  had  chosen.  To  whom  also  he  showed  himself  alive 
after  his  passion,  by  many  infallible  proofs,  being  seen  of  them  forty 
days,  and  speaking  of  the  things  pertaining  to  the  kingdom  of  God," 
Acts  i.  S,  3.  Therefore  Paul  also  alledgeth  as  a  proof  of  the  reality 
of  his  resurrection,  that  "  he  was  seen  many  days  of  them  which 
came  up  with  him  from  Galilee  to  Jerusalem,  who  were  his  witnes= 
ses  unto  the  people,"  Acts  xiii.  31.  Neither  would  he  remain  with 
them  longer,  that  he  might  not  confirm  them  in  their  opinion  that  he 
was  about  to  erect  a  temporal  kingdom,  and  also  strengthen  their 
excessive  attachment  to  his  bodily  presence.     See  Acts  i.  6,7. 

3.  But  he  did  not  ascend  privately,  at  a  distance  from  the  society 
of  men,  but  before  the  eyes  of  many  who  were  present.  We  do  not 
read  that  there  was  any  person  present  wlien  Enoch  was  taken  up  to 
heaven.  Gen.  v.  24,  and  we  do  not  find  that  any  one  saw  near  at 
hand  Elijah  ascend  up  into  heaven,  except  Elisha,  2  Kings,  ii.  12. 
But  Jesus  ascended  <*  in  the  sight  of  his  disciples,"  saith  the  instruc- 
tor. These  were  his  eleven  apostles.  Acts  i.  2,  9.  Those  who  had 
been  with  him  during  all  his  sufferings,  he  wished  to  be  with  him 
also  when  he  was  glorified,  that  they  might  be  witnesses  of  his  glory, 
as  they  had  been  of  his  sufferings  ;  but  the  holy  apostles  were  not 
the  only  persons  who  were  present,  but  there  were  also  two  men  in 
white  apparel,  doubtless  angels,  present ;  in  order  to  inform  the  apos- 
ties  of  the  manner,  in  which  the  Lord  Jesus  ascended  and  should 


568  CFIRIST'S  PROFITABLE  ASCENSION,  kc 

come  again.  See  this  Acts  i.  10,  1 1,  and  also  to  honour  him  as  well 
by  their  presence,  as  by  their  acclamations  on  accrmnt  of  this  glory 
of  his.  And  who  can  doubt  but  that  there  was  a  great  multitude  of 
the  heavenly  host  present,  although  invisible,  who  surrounded,  ac- 
companied and  welcomed  him,  and  shouted  aloud  his  praise  ?  This 
was  seen  at  his  birth,  when  he  came  to  fight,  Luke  ii.  13,  14. ^  After 
he  had  put  the  devil  to  flight,  '•'  the  angels  came  and  ministered  to 
him,"  Matt.  iv.  11.  May  we  not  then  conceive  that  they  came  to 
him.  in  order  to  increase  his  glory,  after  he  had  accomplished  his 
fight,  and  when  he  ascended  triumphantly  into  his  palace  ?  Suiely 
"when  *'  he  ascended  up  on  high,  when  he  led  captivity  captive,  and 
received  gifts  for  men,  yea,  for  the  rebellious  also,  that  they  might 
dwell  with  him,  then  the  chariots  of  God  were  twenty  thousand,  yea, 
thousands  of  angels  :  the  Lord  was  among  them,  as  in  Sinai,  the 
holy  place,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  17,  18. 

4.  But  w^e  must  inquire  particularly  who  were  the  agents  in  this 
asceniiion.  These  were  the  Father,  and  Christ  himself.  When  the 
divine  work  of  ascension  is  ascribed  to  the  leather,  it  is  then  called 
"staking  up,"  Mark  xvi.  19.  Luke  xxiv.  51,  and  "  an  exaltation 
by  the  right  hand  of  God,"  Acts  ii.  S3,  in  order  to  evince,  (a)  that 
the  Father  acknowledged  and  accepted  him  as  his  Son,  though  he 
was  not  acknowledged  as  such  by  the  Jews,  but  slain  by  them,  as  a 
Wasphemer.  (b)  That  the  Father  himself  declared  that'  he  had 
finished  the  work  which  had  been  given  him  to  do,  and  that  he  would 
therefore  bestow  upon  him  the  stipulated  reward  of  his  labour.  This 
Jesus  urged  with  his  Father,  when  he  said,  John  xvii.  4,  5.  '*'I  have 
glorified  thee  on  earth,  I  have  finished  the  work  which  thougavest 
me  to  do.  And  now,  O  Father,  glorify  thou  me  with  thine  ownself, 
with  the  gl'>ry  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world  was."  The 
Father  had  promised  him  this,  as  a  reward  of  his  grievous  labour, 
Isaiah  xlix.  4,  5.  lii.  13.  liii.  10.  And  thus  **  the  Father  hath 
highly  exalted  him,  because  he  obeyed  him  unto  death,  even  the 
death  of  the  cross,"  Philip,  ii.  8,  9.  But  the  divine  work  of  the 
ascension  is  also  ascribed  to  the  Son,  who  is  co-essential  with  the 
Father,  and  then  the  ascension  is  called  "  a  departing  to  the  Father," 
John  xiii. — "  a  going,"  John  xiv.  2,  3, — "a  going  away,"  John  xvi. 
7, — ^' a  passing  into  the  heavens,"  lieb.  iv.  14,  and  "an  entering 
mto  that  within  the  veil,"  lleb.  vi.  19,  20,  as  an  evidence  of  his  di- 
vine power,  and  his  right  as  Mediator  to  take  possession  by  himself 
of  the  glory  which  he  had  merited  ;  for  "  all  i)ower  was  given  him 
in  heaven  and  on  earth,"  Matt,  xxviii.  18.  But  we  ought  not  to 
forget  that  a  clcud  was  employed   in  this  ascension  into  heaven. 


XVIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  46—49.  369 

either  (a)  to  conceal  Jesus  from  the  eyes  of  the;  beholders,  who  wera 
yet  too  much  attached  to  his  bodily  presence  ;  for  "  a  cloud  received 
him  outof  tlieir  sight,"  Acts  i.  9  ;  or  (b)  to  serve  as  an  instrument 
and  vehicle  to  take  him  up,  as  the  chariot  and  horses  of  tire  took 
Elijah  up,  2  Kings  ii.  11  $  or  (c)  to  serve  as  a  triumphal  car,  in  order 
to  display  his  glory;  as  God,  watn  he  displuyeth  his  glory  in  trie 
cIo'iJs,  is  said  ''to  make  the  clouds  his  chariot,"  Psalm  civ.  3. 

5.  In  ordei  to  illustrate  the  ascension  of  Christ  further,  we  must 
attend  also  to  the  qualities  of  it.     These  qualities  are  many  and  va- 
rious, particularly,  (a)  That  he  ascended  only  once  into  heaven,  as 
"  the  high  priest  went  once  a  year   into  the  sanctuary,  not  without 
blood,  so  Jesus,  the  true  High    Priest  entered  into  the  holy  place  by 
his  own  blood,"  Heb.  ix.  7,  11,  12.     We  must   therefore  condemn 
the  opinion  of  the  Socinians,  that  Christ  ascended   twice  into  heav- 
en,  once  about  the    time  of  his  baptism,  in  order  to  be  instructed, 
and  then  also  forty  days  after  his  resurrection  ;  for  it  was  not  neces- 
sary that  he  should  ascend  into  heaven  in  order  to  be  instructed,  see- 
ing he  was  the  essential   Word  and  Wisdom  of  the  Father.     The 
scripture  doth  not  mention  aught  of  such  a  first  ascension  about  the 
time  of  his  baptism  ;  doth  it  speak  of  his  descending  from  heaven, 
we  have  explained  before  the  meaning  of  this.     Christ  saith  indeed 
that "  he  who  had  descended  from  heaven,  had  also  ascended,"  and 
that  before  he  ascended  forty   days  after  his   resurrection,  John  iii. 
13,  but  he  speaks  not  then  of  his  bodily  ascension,  but  of  an  ascen- 
sion  into   heaven   with  his  understanding,    either  according  to  his 
divine,  or  his  human  nature,  which   had   penetrated   to  the    highest 
matters  in  the  highest  manner,  which   was  not  permitted  to   every 
man,  but  only  to  him  "  who  had  descended  from  heaven,  and  was 
notwithstanding   still  in  heaven,"  John    iii.  13.     For  "  who   hath   a- 
scended  up  into  heaven,  or  descended  ?  who  hath  gathered  the  wind 
in  his  fists  ?  who  hath   bound   the  waters  in  a  garment  ?  who   hath 
established  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  ?  what  is  his  name,  and   what 
is  his  Son's  name,  if  thou  canst  tell?"     Thus  asks  Agur  that  he 
may  humble  himself,  and  all  other  men,  on  account  of  the  diminu- 
tive capacity  of  man.     Sec  this  Prov.  XXX.   1 — 4. 

(b)  When  he  ascended  in  this  manner,  he  was  not  silent,  but  dis- 
coursed till  the  last  moment :  "  After  he  had  spoken  these  things, 
to  wit,  that  they  should  receive  power  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  that 
they  might  be  his  witnesses,  he  was  taken  up,"  Acts  i.  8,  9.  Jesus 
v'ould  be  profitable  to  the  last,  no  less  than  Elijah,  who  was  taken 
up  while  he  talked  witli  Elisha. 

(c)  But  did   he   depart  from  his  friends  with  severity  ?    no,  but 
3C 


370  CHRIST'S  PROFITABLE  ASCENSION,  &c* 

with  a  blessing ;  for  "  it  came  to  pass,  while  he  blessed  them,  he 
was  parted  from  them,"  Luke  xxiv.  51.  Although  he  withdrew,  he 
would  not  take  his  blessing  with  him  ;  yea,  by  and  after  his  ascen- 
sion he  poured  out  his  Spirit  upon  them.  He  premised  this,  Acts  i.« 
8,  and  he  also  performed  it,  Acts  ii.  1,  4,  33.  After  Elijah  was 
ascended  into  heaven,  his  spirit  rested  upon  Elisha,  according  to  his 
petition,  2  Kings  ii.  9,  15.  But  Jesus,  possessing  the  fulness  of  all 
grace,  bestowed  a  greater  measure  of  his  Spirit  upon  his  apostles. 

(d)  He  ascended  also  visibly  into  heaven  j  for  "  he  was  taken  up, 
while  they  beheld,"  Acts  i.  9.  Yea,  they  doubtless  looked  a  long 
time  after  him,  even  until  the  intervening  cloud  hid  him  from  their 
sight,  and  they  saw  him  no  more,  as  it  is  said  of  Elisha,  that  "  he 
saw  Elijah  no  more,"  after  he  was  ascended,  2  Kings  ii.  12. 

(e)  Nevertheless  he  did  not  ascend  into  heaven  to  remain  there  for 
ever,  but  **  to  return,  in  order  to  judge  both  the  quick  and  the  dead." 
The  two  men  in  white  apparel  said  to  the  apostles,  "  This  Jesus  which 
is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come,  in  like  manner  as 
ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven,"  Acts  i.  10,  11.  As  his  coming 
again  will  be  to  the  terrour  of  the  wicked,"  who  will  mourn,  when 
they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,"  Matt, 
xxiv.  30,  so  it  will  be  to  the  joy  and  comfort  of  his  favourites  ;  for 
he  promised  them,  that  "  if  he  went  away  from  them,  he  would  pre- 
pare a  place  for  them,  and  after  ihat,  he  would  come  again,  and 
receive  them  to  himself,  that  they  might  be  where  he  was,"  John 
xvi.  3. 

(f)  But  the  quality  thai  discovereth  most  of  all  the  nature  of  his 
ascension  is,  that  he  w?s  taken  up  locally  from  earth  into  heaven, 
leaving  the  earth,  and  going  into  heaven.  This  is  denied  by  the 
Lutherans,  who  pretend  that  Christ  became  omnipresent  with  his 
body,  as  though  he  were  now  on  earth  with  his  body,  as  well  as  in 
heaven.  This  opinion  which  confutes  itself,  these  men  will  by  all 
means  maintain,  that  they  may  the  more  easily  defend  their  errone- 
ou::,  opinion  concerning  the  bodily  presence  of  Christ  in  the  Lord's 
supper ;  but  it  is  untenable,  inasmuch  as  (a)  he  according;  to  his  man- 
hood, "  left  the  world,  and  went  to  the  Father,"  John  xvi.  28.  There- 
fore he  said,  ''  Me  ye  have  not  always,"  Matt.  xxvi.  11.  (b)  He  is 
also  with  respect  to  his  manhood  in  heaven  ;  for  the  heaven  must 
receive  him  until  the  times  of  the  restitution  of  all  things,"  Acts  iii. 
21-  (c)  He  ascended  visibly  ;  for  "he  was  taken  up  while  they  be- 
held," Acts  i-  9,  but  they  never  saw  him  become  omnipresent.  Was 
he  concealed  from  their  sight  by  a  cloud,  Iiis  body  was  however  not 
extended  and  rarified  in  such  a  manner,  that  it  vanished,  (d)  He  will 


XVIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  -16— 49.  371 

come  again  in  the  same  manner,  in  which  he  departed  ;  but  he  will 
come  locally  from  heaven  in  the  clouds,  accoidinpj  to  PhiHp.  iii.  20. 
1  Thess.  i.  10,  iv.  16,  therefore  he  also  ascended  locally  (e)  The 
phrases  of  *' receiving  up,  departing  to  the  Father,  going,  and  going 
away,"  which  are  used  here,  intimate  a  change  of  place,  (f)  The 
omnipresence  of  Christ's  body  militates  against  the  nature  of  that 
body,  which  cannot  be  present  in  more  than  one  place  at  the  same 
time  I  moreover,  oixmi presence  is  an  incommunicable  attribute  of 
God. 

We  must  now  defend  the  orthodoxy  of  our  church  on  this  head 
against  two  objections,  which  arc  offered  by  the  Lutherans. 

(a)  The  first  is  thus  proposed  in  the  forty  seventh  question  :  "  Is 
not  Christ  then  with  us  even  to  the  end  of  the  world,  as  he  hath 
promised?"  This  he  promised,  Matt,  xxviii.  2Q,  but  it  follows  not 
from  this  promise,  that  he  is  present  with  us  according  to  his  body  ; 
for,  seeing  he  is  God  and  man  in  one  person,  therc&re  he  can  be 
truly  present  with  his  people  according  to  his  Godhead,  majesty, 
grace,  and  Spirit,  although  he  be  not  present  with  them  according 
to  his  body  :  when  he  had  no  body,  he  was  present  with  his  people, 
by  his  ^pir^t  and  grace,  for  he  promised,  Exod»  xx.  24.  "  In  all 
places  where  I  record  my  name,  I  will  come  unto  thee,  and  bless 
thee."  Why  then  cannot  he,  now  he  hath  a  finite  and  limited  body, 
also  be  present  with  us  without  his  body  ?  yea,  when  he  promiseth 
that  he  will  be  present  with  his  Spirit  and  grace,  he  denies  that  he 
"will  be  present  with  his  body  :  "  If  I  go  not  away,"  saith  he,  "the 
Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you  ;  but,  if  I  depart,  I  will  send  him 
unto  you,"  John  xvi.  7. 

(b)  The  second  objection  is,  that  the  human  nature  ought  to  be 
wherever  the  Godhead  is,  or  that  otherwise  those  tv/o  natures  will 
be  separated,  one  from  the  other,  which  being  impossible,  the  human 
nature  must  be  present  wherever  the  Godhead  is-  We  should  allow 
this  consequence;  to  wit,  that  the  human  nature  is  in  all  places  with 
the  Godhead,  on.  account  of  the  union  of  the  two  natures,  if  those 
two  natures  were  united  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  mixed,  or  to  be 
equal  one  to  the  other  ;  but  the  two  natures  are  not  united  in  this 
manner,  but  the  divine  nature,  which  is  infinite,  assumed  the  human 
nature,  which  is  finite,  into  a  personal  union  with  itself.  It  follows 
from  this,  that  wherever  the  human  nature  is,  there  also  the  God- 
head is,  and  that  it  remains  personally  united  to  the  human  nature ; 
but  it  doth  not  follow  that  the  human  nature  is  wherever  the  God- 
head is,  For  instance,  the  sun  iz  uniiied  to  its  beams,  but  the  sun  is 
jiot;  "iyhereYer  it3  beams  ?>ic3 


tin  CHRIST'S  PROFITABLE  ASCENSION,  &c. 

(c)  They  say  also,  that  "  Christ  fiUeth  all  things,"  according  to 
iEph.  iv.  10.  But  it  is  not  said,  that  he  fills  all  places  with  his  body ; 
bill  the  apostle  speaks  only  of  his  filling  up  that  which  was  lacking 
in  his  church  with  the  gifts  of  grace,  by  means  of  his  servants,  whom 
he  gives.  See  Eph.  iv.  11,  12,  13. 

I  .  Our  second  general  head  is  the  reality  of  his  ascension  into 
heaven.  And  verily  we  have  not  followed  cunningly  devised  fables, 
when  we  made  known  to  you  the  glory  of  his  ascension,  for  it  can 
be  proved  by  the  most  forcible  arguments  ;  (a)  Set^iHg  he  is  risen, 
as  we  have  ^ully  proved  on  the  foregoing  Lord's  day  that  he  really 
arose.  The  iorce  of  this  argument  lies  herein,  that  since  he  is  risen, 
if  he  did  not  ascend  into  heaven,  he  must  then  either  have  died 
again,  which  none  can  imagine  with  any  probabihty,  or  he  must  have 
been  found  here  or  there,  as  it  was  a  manifest  evidence,  that  Elijah 
was  really  ascended,  because  he  could  not  be  found,  2  Kings  ii.  16, 
17,  18.  Now  our  Jesus  was  not  found,  (b)  It  is  also  certain,  that  he 
ascewded  into  heaven,  because  those  who  testified  it,  saw  it  with 
their  eyes  ;  "lie  was  taken  up,  while  they  belield,"  Acts  i.  9.  Yea, 
feince  this  uptaking  he  hath  been  seen  in  heaven :  "  Stephen  saw  the 
heavens  opened,  and  the  -on  of  man  standing  on  the  right  hand  of 
God,"  Acts  vii.  56.  And  "  he  was  seen  last  of  all  by  Paul,  as  by 
one  born  out  of  due  time,"  1  Cor.  xv.  8,  to  wit,  when  he  appeared 
to  him  on  the  way  to  Damascus,  Acts  ix.  4 — 7,  \7  The  testimony 
of  these  persons  cannot  be  deemed  suspicious,  as  we  have  proved  on 
the  foregoing  Lord's  day.  (c)  If  v/e  attend  to  the  events  following  his 
ascension,  as  the  outpouring  of  h's  Spirit,  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  the  conversion  of  the  v/orld,  and  all  this  according  to  his 
prophecies  ;  and  also  the  outgoings  of  the  hearts  of  believers  toward 
him  in  heaven,  through  the  operation  of  his  Spirit,  who  is  sent  ta 
them  from  heaven  by  Christ,  and  leads  them  up  to  him,  wc  must 
conclude  with  a  full  persuasion  of  mind,  that  he  really  ascended  into 
heaven. 

in.  We  must  also  be  certain,  that  this  ascension  into  heaven  was 
necessary,  (a)  because  it  v/as  foretold,  and  indeed  with  such  an  assu- 
rance of  mind,  as  if  it  had  already  happened  ;  thus  they  shouted  to 
him.  Psalm  Ixviii.  18,  "  Thou  hast  ascended  on  high,  thou  hast 
led  captivity  captive  :  thou  hast  received  gifts  for  men  :  yea,  for  the 
ifebellious  aho,  that  the  Lord  God  might  dwell  among  them."  Jesus 
himself  foretold  it,  John  :dv.  15,  16,  20.  Now  this  could  not  fail, 
(b)  it  was  also  typified  ;  we  do  not  speak  now  of  Enoch  and  Elijah, 
ftee  only  how  the  high  priest  went  once  a  year  with  strange  blood 
Itito  the  holy  of  holies,  and  thereby  plainly  represented  that  the  true 


"kVIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  46—49.  373 

Kigh  Priest  should  enter  into  heaven  itself  with  his  own  blood.  Paul 
assures  of  this,  Heb.  ix.  7,  12,  24,  25.  It  was  also  typified  by  the 
bringing  of  the  ark  of  the  covenant  up  .into  the  city  of  David,  and 
into  the  temple,  2  Sam.  vi.  12,  15.  1  Kings  viii.  1 — 6  That  thb 
had  a  respect  to  the  ascension  of  the  Lord  Jesus  into  heaven,  the 
people  of  the  Lord  inform  us,  when  they  cry  one  to  another,  while 
they  were  bringing  the  ark  up,  "  God  is  gone  up  with  a  shout,  the 
Lord  with  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,"  Psalm  xlvii.  5.  Since  now  these 
types  foreshowed  the  people  of  the  Lord,  yea,  sealed  to  them  on  the 
part  of  God,  that  his  Son  should  ascend  into  heaven,  therefore  it 
was  also  necessary,  that  he  should  ascend  into  heaven. 

(( )  The  ascension  of  Christ  was  necessary  also  en  the  Father's 
account,  who  would  not  suffer  that  his  Son  should  always  remain 
absent  from  him.  inasmuch  as  '*  he  v/as  his  delight,"  Prov.  viii.  3, 
and  also  on  the  Son's  account,  who  ought  to  receive  in  this  manner, 
his  promised  reward,  that  "  he  should  lift  up  the  head,"  according 
to  that  which  is  said,  Psalm  ex.  7.  It  was  necessary  also  on  account 
of  the  elect,  who  would  otherwise  have  missed  the  greatest  and  most 
necessary  advantage  of  his  ascension  :  therefore  he  quieted  them 
with  this  consideration,  when  they  were  greatly  disturbed  on  account 
of  his  departure,  saying,  '*  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away," 
John  xvi.  7.     And  thus, 

IV.  We  proceed  to  our  fourth  general  head,  to  wit,  the  advanta- 
ges of  the  ascension  of  the  Lord.  The  instructor  mentions  three 
advantap:es : 

1.  "  That  he  is  our  advocate  inthe  presence  of  his  Father  in  heav- 
en." We  explained  the  nature  of  Christ's  advocacy,  when  we 
discoursed  of  his  priesthood  on  the  twelfth  Lord's  day  ;  to  perfect 
which,  it  was  necessary  tliat  he  should  ascend  into  heaven,  ;  "  for 
if  he  were  on  earth,  he  would  not  be  a  priest,"  lieb.  vii.  5.  It  was 
therefore  necessary,  that  he  should  ascend  into  heaven,  and  thus, 
like  the  high  priest  under  the  Old  Testament,  enter  into  the  sanctu- 
ary, "  to  appeal  m  the  presence  of  God  for  us,"  Rom.  viii.  34.  It 
is  true,  he  could  pray  for  his  people  on  earth,  as  he  also  did,  John 
xvii.  but  on  account  of  his  certain  expectation,  that  he  would  shortly 
be  taken  up  into  heaven,  he  prays,  John  xvii.  as  if  he  were  already 
in  heaven :  therefore  he  saith,  vrs.  1 1,  ^'  I  am  no  more  in  the  world," 
and  vrs.  24.  "  I  will  also  that  they  whom  thou  hast  given  me  be 
where  I  am."  And  it  is  truly  a  great  advantage  to  his  people,  that 
they  have  such  an  advocate  at  court,  before  the  throne,  who  pleads 
for  them,  and  who  will  assuredly  gain  their  cause.  With  this  John 
supported  the  minds  of  believers  under  their  dejection  on  account 


374,         CHRIST'S  PROFITABLE  ASCENSION.  &c. 

of  their  sins,  when  he  s^id,  1  John  ii.   1,  "  If  any  man  sin,  we  have 
an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous." 

2.  Of  no  less  consequence  is  the  second  advantage,  to  wit,   "  that 
we  have  our  flesh  in  heaven,  as  a   sure  pledge,  that  he  as  the  head 
will  also  take  up  to   himself,  us  his  members."     Believers  know  of 
nothing  worthier  or  more  blessed  than  that  Christ  will  take  them  up 
to  him  in  heaven  :  "  For  this  beinij  far  the  best,  Paul  was  thevefore 
desiious  to  depart,    and   to  be  with   Christ,"   Philip,  i.    23.      The 
words  with  Vrhich  believers  must  comfort  one  another,  are  that  they 
shall  be  taken  up  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  and  so 
shall  ever  be   with  the  Lord,"    1  Thess.  iv.  IT,  )8.     This  great  ad- 
vantage  follows  from  his  ascension,  as  he    himself  testifieth,  John 
xiv.  3,  "  If  I  go,  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I    will  come  agaia, 
and  receive  you  unto  myself,  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also." 
It  is  not  strange,  that  being  ascended  into  heaven,  he  will  take  them 
also  to  himself  into  heaven  ;  for  (a)  he  is  there,  as  their  sure  pledge, 
sirce  he  is  their  portion  and  treasure,  given   to   them  in   behalf  of 
that  house  of  their  Father,  which  confirms    and   ensures   heaven  to 
them,  as  their   properly,  and  therefore  the  apostle  saith   that  "  they 
were   set  together  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ  Jesus,"  Eph.    ii.  6, 
For  he  is  only  gone  before  them,  to   take  possession,  and  to  prepare 
a  place  for  them  beforehand,   as  their   forerunner,  Heb,   v.  1  9,    20. 
John  xiv.  2,  3.  (b)     He  is  there  also  as  their   own  flesh.     On   ac- 
count of  the  mystical  marriage,  they  are  one  with  him,  and  are  thus 
''  of  his  flesh  and  of  his  bones,"  Eph.  v.  30.     Now  it  is  certain  that 
a  part  of  their  flesh  and  bones,  yea,   their  bridegroom  and   husband, 
being  in  heaven,  he  will  not  suffer  his  own  flesh  and  bones,  his  other 
half,  his  beloved  bride  and  wife,  to  remain  ahvays  absent  from  him. 
(c)  He  is  also  in  heaven,  as  their  head  :  therefore  he  will  take  them 
up  to  himself  as  his  memvbers. 

3,  Moreover,  "  he  sends  his  Spirit  as  an  earnest,  by  whose  power 
we  seek  the  things  which  are  above,  where  Christ  sitteth  on  the 
right  bind  of  God,  and  not  things  on  earth."  The  sending  of  his 
Spirit  is  a  consequence  of  his  ascension  into  heaven  :  this  he  de- 
clares, John  xvi.  7,  "  If  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  wiU  not  come 
unto  you  ;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send  him  unto  you."  As  this  was 
also  foretold,  Psalm  Ixviii  18,  and  fulfiiied  by  him,  Acts  ii.  33.  The 
Spirit  is  also  an  earnest  to  believers,  whereby  they  are  assured,  as 
by  a  sealed  epistle,  of  their  right  to  Jesus  and  to  heaven  ;  for  "  God 
hath  sealed  them,  and  given  them  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  their 
hearts,"  2  Cor.  i.  21.  See  also  Epii.  i.  13,  14.  iv.  30.  Yea,  the  Ho]y 
Spirit  is  like  a  pledge  in  the  stead  of  Christ ;  therefore  he  said,  Then 


XVIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  46-^49.  STB 

he  was  about  to  go  away  ;  "  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  he  will  give 
you  another  Comforter,  that  he  may  abide  with  you  for  ever,"  John 
xiv,  16.  And  truly  he  is  an  infallible  seal  and  pledge,  ai  he  not  only 
sets  the  mark  of  Jesus  upon  their  souls,  by  '*  changing  them  fiom 
glory  to  glory  after  his  image,"  2  Cor.  iii.  i8,  and  assures  them, 
"  bcariiTj^  witness  with  their  spirits,  that  they  are  the  children  of 
God,"  Rom.  viii.  1 6,  but  as  he  also  directs  them  to  Jesus,  and  leads 
them  to  him,  yea,  causes  them  by  his  power  to  "  seek  those  things 
•which  are  above,  where  Christ  is,  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  God, 
and  not  the  things  which  are  on  earth,"  according  to  Coll.  iii.  3,  and 
that  not  only  by  admonitions,  but  also  by  efficaciously  directing  and 
leading  them  thither,  by  which  means  their  conversation  is  in 
heaven  ;  for  <^  the  good  Spirit  of  God  leads  them  into  the  land  of 
uprightness,"  Psalm  cxliii.  10.  Is  not  this  now  a  precious  advantage 
of  Christ's  ascension  into  heaven  ?  is  it  now  possible,  that  they 
should  lose  their  right  and  expectation  ?  Have  they  not  a  double 
ensurance  upon  heaven  ?  certainly  they  have :  for  they  have  their 
own  flesh,  as  a  pledge,  in  heaven,  and  also  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  an 
earnest  in  their  souls,  in  the  stead  of  Jesus, 


APPLICATION* 

Since  then  Christ  is  in  heaven,  we  conclude,  that  he  is  not  in 
or  with  the  bread  and  wine  in  the  Lord's  supper,  either  by  a 
consubstantiation,  as  the  Lutherans  conceive,  or  by  a  transubstantia* 
tion,  to  wit,  a  real  change  of  the  bread  and  wine  into  the  flesh  and 
blood  of  Cnrist,  as  the  Papists  imagine  :  for  as  he  is  with  his  human 
nature  in  heaven,  and  continueth  there  in  that  nature  until  his  final 
coming,  therefore  he  cannot  be  with  his  human  nature  in  the  Lord's 
supper. 

We  conclude  also  from  what  hath  been  said,  that  believers  have 
a  glorious  Saviour  ;  for  "  they  have  a  great  High  priest,  v/ho  is  pass- 
ed into  the  heavens,"  Heb.  iv.  14,  **  Who  is  made  higher  than  the 
heavens,"  Heb.  vii.  26,  and  that  by  his  own  power.  Wonderfully 
■were  Enoch  and  Elijah  glorified  above  other  saints,  when  they 
ascended  into  heaven  with  body  and  soul  together,  without  tasting 
of  death  ;  but  it  was  not  through  their  own  power,  but  through 
Christ's  power,  who  took  them  up  :  but  he  was  raised  to  heaven  by 
his  own  power  and  strength.  Yea,  more  he  ascended  for  the  good 
of  believers,  and  to  procure  them  the  greatest  and  most  precious 


376  CHRIST'S  PROFITABLE  ASCENSION,  £cc. 

advantages ;  Enoch  and  Elijah  left  only  a  blessed  remembrance  of 
themselves  to  their  people,  but  they  could  not  be  advocates  for  one 
human  being  in  heaven,  nor  tdke  their  fvllowers  to  themselves,  nor 
send  them  the  Spirit  of  God,  as  an  earnest,  all  which  our  Jesus  doth 
by  his  ascension  into  heaven.  It  is  true,  after  Elijah  was  ascended 
into  heaven,  his  spirit  rested  upon  Elisha :  yet  he  did  not  send  his 
spirit  by  himself,  except  only  as  a  moral  instrument  by  faith  and 
prayer  ;  but  Jesus  sends  his  Spirit  immediately  by  himself,  and 
causes  "  all  to  receive  of  his  fulness,  and  grace  for  grace,"  aid  there- 
fore "all  the  seed  of  Israel  may  glory  in  the  Lord,"  Isaiah  xlv.  25. 

But,  hearers,  can  ye  also  glory  in  him  as  your  head  and  pledge, 
•syho  is  ascended  into  heav^en  for  your  good  ?  ye  ought  to  think  of 
this  ;  for  if  ye  know  aught  of  Jesus,  ye  do  surely  know,  that  he  was 
not  glorified  for  all  men,  and  that  it  behooves  you  to  inquire  whether 
ye  are  partakers  of  the  advantages  of  his  ascension  :  do  ye  ask, 
whereby  ye  may  know  this  ?  I  will  inform  you,  and  examine  your- 
selves by  it. 

1.  Those  who  are  partakers  of  these  advantages,  have  him  as  well 
by  his  Spirit  in  their  hearts,  as  in  heaven  ;  "  for  they  are  builded 
for  an  habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit,"  Eph.  ii.  22.  Sec  this 
evidence  also  Rom  viii.  9,  10.  The  Holy  Spirit  works  faith  in  their 
souls  effectually,  whereby  they  embrace  him,  and  cause  him  to  dwell 
in  them ;  in  as  much  as  "  they  are  strengthened  with  might  by  the 
Spirit  in  the  inner  man,  that  Christ  may  dwell  by  faith  in  their 
hearts,"  Eph.  iii.  16,  17.  Others  are  yet  without  Christ ;  they  know 
not  this  hidden  work  of  faith,  their  souls  have  never  wrought  thus 
with  him,  they  are  strangers  to  him,  and  he  is  a  stranger  to  them» 

2.  These  persons  look  upon  God  and  Christ  alone  as  their  allsuf- 
ficient  portion  ;  they  have  sought  and  chosen  him  as  such,  in  oppo- 
sition to  all  others :  they  seek  their  rest  and  full  satisfaction  im  him 
only.  They  can  say  to  him  in  truth,  "  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but 
thee  ?  and  there  is  none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  besides  thee.  My 
fle^sh  and  my  heart  faileth  ;  but  God  is  the  strength  of  my  heart, 
and  my  portion  for  ever,"  Psalm  Ixxiii.  25,  26.  Others  are  "  men 
of  the  world,  who  have  their  portion  in  this  life,"  Psalm  xvii.  14. 
They  pursue  after  the  world,  the  world  possesseth  their  hearts,  they 
think  of  it,  speak  of  it,  and  are  cheerful  or  sorrowful  in  proportion 
to  the  measure  of  worldly  goods  which  thev  enjoy  ;  it  is  their  con- 
tinuid  cry,  "  Who  will  show  us  any  good?  who  will  increase  cur 
corn  and  wine  ?"  Psalm  iv.  7,  8. 

3.  These  persons   know  experimentally  what  it  is  to  be  near  to, 
and  fai  from  him,  and  they  are  joyful  or  sorrowful  in  proportion  to 


XVIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  46—49.  37r 

this.  When  he  permits  them  to  come  near  him,  and  into  his  bowels, 
and  when  he  reveals  himself  to  tlieir  souls,  it  is  to  them  "  a  supphig 
with  Jesus,  and  of  Jesus  with  them,"  Rev.  iii.  20.  "  They  rejoice  in 
the  shadow  of  his  wings,"  Psalm  Ixiii.  T.  "It  is  good  for  them  to 
draw  near  to  God,"  Psalm  Ixxiii.  28.  But  when  he  withdraw?  him- 
self, and  hides  his  face,  how  is  their  soul  then  troubled  ?  "  My  bowels 
were  moved  for  him,"  saith  the  spouse,  when  he  had  withdrawn  him- 
self from  her.  Song  v.  4.  See  this  also  in  David,  Psalm  xxx.  7,  8,  9. 
Others  know  nothing  of  this.  Jesus  hath  never  been  revealed  to 
them,  they  have  never  tasted  of  this  honey,  and  therefore  their  eyes 
have  not  been  enlightened,  neither  d  )  they  know  wherein  it  consists 
Xo  be  far  from  him  ;  as  he  is  out  of  their  sight,  so  he  is  out  of  their 
mmd  ;  they  think  that  it  is  enough  "  to  draw  near  him  with  their 
mouth,  and  honour  him  with  their  lips,  though  their  hearts  be  far 
from  him,"  Isaiah  xxix.   13, 

4.  It  is  also  the  aim  of  those  vvho  partake  of  the  advantages  of  his 
ascension,  to  seek  those  things  which   are  above,  where  Christ  isj 
and  not  the   things  on  the  earth,  "  Our  conversation  is  in  heaven, 
whence  we  look  also  for  the   Saviour,"  saith  that  heavenly-minded 
man,  Philip,  iii.  20,     They  are  citizens  of  heaven,   and  not  of  the 
earth ;  they  are  strangers  here,  they  will  not  settle  themselves  here, 
the  earth  holds  them  fast  to  their  sorrow,   more   than  they  would 
hold  the  earth  fast ;  their  thoughts,  desires,  and  longings  are  for  and 
toward  heaven,  and  heavenly  things.     If  they  be  at  any  time  drawn 
away  from  these  things,  they  are  grieved,   and  they  will  time  after 
time  break  loose  from  the  world,   that  they  may  pursue  heaven 
only;  "  For  we,"  saith  that  great  man,  Heb.  xiii.  14,  "  have  here 
no  continuing  city,  but  we  seek  one  to  come."     For  Jesus  is  there, 
and  he  is  their  treasure,  and  therefore  their  heart  is  there  also,  Matt. 
vi.  21.     Yea,  they  love  all  who  seek  heaven,  as  their  fellow-citizens, 
and  consider  those  who  are  citizens  here  as  strangers.     "  A  citizen 
of  Zion  contemns  a  vile  person  ;  but   he  honoureth  them  that  fear 
the  Lord,"  Psalm  xv.  4.     Others  aim  only  at  being  acknowledged 
and  established  here  on  earth  :  they  are  best  acquainted  with  the 
men  of  this  world,  for  they  are  their  fellow-citizens  ;  they  cannot 
converse  with  the  citizens  of  heaven,  as  well  as   they  ran  with  the 
most  perfect  strangers,  who  speak  another  language  :  yea,  how  like- 
minded  are  they  with  those  who  are  most  woiidly  wise  ;  "  they  are  in- 
deed of  the  world  ;  therefore  speak  they  of  the  world,  and  the  world 
heareth  them,"  1  John  iv.  5.  See   how  Paul  describes  the  citizens, 
who  are  from  beneath,  in  opposition  to  the  citizens  of  heaven,  Philip. 
:ii.  18,  19.  <<  Many  walk  otherwise,  whose  end  is  destruction,  whose 

3D 


378  CHRIST'S  PROFITABLE  ASCENSION,  &c. 

God  is  their  belly  :  and  whose  glory  is  in  their  shame,  who  mintl 
earthly  things." 

Look  now  in  this  glass,  and  see  whether  ye  can  discover  in  your- 
selves the  features  of  those,  who  are  partakers  of  Christ's  ascension, 
and  whether  ye  have  good  reason  to  glory  in  him.  But  are  not 
these  features  in  you,  alas,  how  unhappy  are  ye !  ye  have  no  advo- 
cate at  court,  Jesus  is  not  your  head,  ye  are  yet  without  his  Spirit: 
and  therefore  he  will  net  take  you  up  to  him,  but  thrust  you  down 
to  heil  though  ye  were  exalted  even  to  heaven,  except  ye  will  yet 
humble  yourselves,  and  flee  to  him,  who  dwelleth  in  heaven.  There- 
fore attend  more  to  the  ascended  Jesus,  and  to  heaven,  than  ye  have 
done  hitherto.  Hear  what  Jesus  commands  you  to  do.  Matt,  vi  33. 
*'  Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness,  and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  to  you  "  Do  not  suppose  that  one  faint  sigh 
in  the  air  will  carry  you  to  heaven  ;  no,  we  must  be  in  earnest,  we 
must  exercise  violence,  if  we  will  enter  in  :  "  The  kingdom  of  heaven 
suffcreth  violence,  and  the  violent  take  it  by  force,"  Matt.  xi.  12. 
But,  true  citizens  of  heaven,  improve  the  ascension  of  Christ  into 
heaven.     And  therefore, 

1.  Rejoice  in  it,  shout  and  sing  aloud  after  him  in  this  glory. 
Who  knows  how  the  heavenly  host  shouted,  when  heaven  was  open- 
ed to  him  !  how  gloriously  the  Father  seated  him  on  his  throne  at 
his  right  hand  1  how  the  angels  attended  on  him  !  how  the  souls  of 
the  blessed  rose  up  from  their  thrones,  "  fell  down  before  him,  cast 
their  crowns  from  their  heads,  before  the  throne,  and  cried  one  to 
another  with  a  loud  voice.  The  Lamb  which  was  slain  is  worthy  to 
receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honour, 
and  glory,  and  blessmg  !"  as  they  did.  Rev.  iv.  and  v*  It  behooves 
you  also  to  unite  with  them,  that  ye  may  proclaim  his  glory  with 
rejoicing  to  the  utmost ;  for  he  ascended  into  heaven  also  for  your 
salvation  and  happiness.  Behold  how  the  congregation  of  Israel  did 
this  before  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  the  great  type  of  Christ,  Psalm 

xlvii.  5 9.  "  God  is  gone  up  with  a  shout,  the  Lord  with  the  sound 

of  a  trumpet.  Sing  praises  to  God,  sing  praises  :  sing  praises  unto 
our  King,  sine;:  praises.  For  God  i^  the  King  of  all  the  earth,  sing 
ye  praises  with  understanding.  God  reigneth  over  the  heathen : 
God  sitteth  upon  the  throne  of  his  holiness.  The  princes  of  the 
people  are  gathered  together,  even  the  people  of  the  God  of  Abra- 
ham :  for  the  shields  of  the  earth  belong  unto  God  ;  he  is  greatly 
exalted." 

2.  Is  he  ascended  into  heaven,  do  not  lament  that  ye  may  not  see 
him  any  loiiger  in  the  body  on  eaith.     It  discovers  ignorance,  yea? 


XVIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q,  46—49.  379 

fieshly-mindedness  in  you,  to  be  desirous  of  seeing  him  in  the  flesh, 
as  though  your  souls  would  then  be  more  influenced  toward  and  by 
him  to  faith  and  love.     We  know  to  what  this  vanity  hath   betrayed 
the  Lutherans  and  Papists  ;  if  he  were  still  on  earth,  he  would  not 
be  a  priest :  ye  should  never  have  had  an  advocate  with  the  Father, 
nor  any  expectation  of  your  ascension  into  heaven,  ye  should  not 
have  received  the  Holy  Spirit,  nor  sought  the  things  in  heaven,  if  he 
had  always  continued  on  earth.     Because  the  believing  apostles  un- 
derstood not  this  before  his  ascension,  therefore  "  sorrow  filled  their 
hearts  ;"  and  therefore  he  said   unto   them,  "  I  tell  you  the  truth  ; 
it  ib  expedient  for  you    that  I  go  away  ;  for  if  1  go  not  away,   the 
Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you  ;  but  if  1  depart,  I  will  send  him 
unto  you,"  John  xvi.  6,  7.     It  is  also  your  glory,  that  he   who  is 
your  Lord,  hath  ascended  up  from  you  in  such  a  glorious  and   illus- 
trious manner.     Is   he    absent   from  you  with  his  body,  he   doth 
never  depart  from  you  with  his  Godhead,  majesty,  grace  and  Spirit : 
"Heis  with  you  alway,  even   unto   the  end   of  the  world,"  Matt, 
xxviii.  20.     **  Where  only    two  or  three  are  gathered    together    in 
his  name,  there  he  is  in  the  midst  of  them,"  Matt,  xviii.  20  .Yea,  he 
is  with  you,  when  your  soul  unbosoms  herself  to   him  in   private  : 
"He  will  regard  the  prayer  of  the  destitute,"  Psalm  cii.   17.     Doth 
he  hide  himself,  and  forbear  to  show  his  kindness  to  you,  he  is  stili 
with  you  in  secret,  and  also  -'when  ye  pass  through  the  fire  and  wa- 
ter," Isaiah  xliii.  2,     For  he  hath   said,  "  I  will  not  leave  thee,  nor 
forsake  thee,"  Heb.  xiii    5      Yea,  he  will  come  again,  ye    shall  see 
him  with  your  eyes,  and  he  will  take  you  to  himself. 

3.  Is  he  your  advocate  in  heaven,  in  the  presence  of  his  Father, 
bring  then  all  your  complaints  to  him  and  before  him,  that  they  may 
ascend  up  from  his  hands  before  the  throne  of  God  ;  for  to  this  end 
he  stands  at  the  golden  altar,  as  John  saw.  Rev.  viii.  3,  4.  Why 
do  ye  deprive  Jesus  of  his  honourable  office,  by  neglecting  to  give 
him  more  employment  in  it,  through  discouragement  smothering 
your  complaints  and  difficulties  in  your  own  bosoms,  and  seeking  re- 
lief in  sorrow  ?  Do  iniquities  prevail  over  you,  and  render  you  ir- 
resolute, so  that  ye  dare  not  draw  nigh  to  him,  because  ye  provoke 
him  so  often  ;  he  is  your  advocate  for  this  end  also ;  it  is  your  duty 
to  be  ashamed,  and  to  humble  yourselves,  but  ye  ought  not  to  re- 
main aloof  from  him  ;  for  "  if  aay  man  sin,  we  have  an  Advocate 
•with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous :  and  he  is  the  propitia- 
tion for  our  sinSj'M  John  ii.  1,  2.  Doth  he  not  also  frequently 
show  that  he  prays  for  you,  when  he  rebukes  your  enemies,  looses 
your  heart  and  tongue,  th*t  ye  may  plead  heartily  for  yourselves 


3^9         CHRIST'S  PROFITABLE  ASCENSION,  Uc. 

before  the  throne  with  groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered,  and  when 
he  speaks  peace  to  your  souls,  and  gives  you  much  life  of  grace  ? 
for  all  tiiese  things  proceed  from  his  intercession. 

4.  Entertain  now  an  assured  hope  and  expectation,  that  he  will 
take  you  up  to  himself  into  heaven.  What  causes  you  to  doubt  so? 
vhai  renders  the  adversities  that  befal  you,  so  grievous  to  you  ?  is  it 
rot  because  ye  do  not  perceive  that  ye  have  an  assured  title  to  heav- 
en ?  if  ye  had  a  certain  and  clear  expectation,  would  ye  not  laugh  at 
whatever  is  otherwise  dreadful,  and  say  courageously,  *'Our  light  af- 
fliction, which  endureth  but  for  a  moment,  worketh  for  us  a  far 
more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory,"  as  Paul  speaks,  2  Cor^ 
iv.  17.  Have  ye  not  also  reasons  enow  to  entertain  such  an  assu- 
rance ?  did  not  he  promise  you,  when  he  departed,  that  "  he  would 
come  again,  and  receive  you  unto  himself  ?"  John  xiv.  3.  Is  he 
not  in  heaven  as  your  pledge,  your  flesh  and  head  ?  hath  he  not  sent 
you  his  Spirit  as  an  earnest  of  it  ?  dare  ye  not  think  thus  of  your- 
selves, because  ye  perceive  so  many  earthly  inclinations  still  in  you  ? 
are  they  not  matter  of  grief  to  you  ?  do  ye  not  mourn  on  account  of 
them,  and  strive  against  them  ?  doth  not  your  soul  lift  up  itself, 
time  after  time,  toward  heaven  ?  well,  assure  yourselves  then,  "  that 
if  your  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  ye  have  a 
building  of  God,  an  house  not  made  with  hands,  but  eternal  in  the 
heavens,"  2  Cur.  v.  1.  Yea,  that  '-when  after  your  skin  worms  de- 
stroy this  body,  yet  in  your  flesh  ye  shall  see  God  :  whom  ye  shall 
see  for  yourselves,  and  your  eyes  shall  behold,  and  not  another." 
Let  "your  reins  then  long  exceedingly  within  you,"  Job.  xix. 
26,  27. 

5.  In  the  mem  while,  endeavour  more  than  ye  have  heretofore  to 
be  heavenly-minded.  It  is  indeed  your  element,  ye  have  received 
the  Spirit  from  heaven  for  this  purpose  ;  it  is  also  your  duty.  For 
it  is  enjoined  on  you,  Coll.  iii.  1,  2,  3.  "  Seek  those  things  which 
are  above,  where  Christ  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God.  Set  your 
affection  on  things  above,  not  on  things  on  the  earth.  For  ye  are 
dead,  and  your  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God."  Therefore  let  your 
souls  detach  and  withdraw  themselves  from  visible  things,  and  sur- 
render and  devote  themselves  to  those  that  are  heavenly,  musing  on 
them  with  your  thoughts,  directing  your  desires  toward  them,  and 
opening  unto  Christ,  that  he  may  enter  in,  and  may  be  fetched  in  by 
you ;  '«  Lift  up  your  hands,  O  ye  gates  and  be  ye  lift  up,  ye  everlast- 
ing doors,  and  the  King  of  glory  shall  come  in,"  Psalm  xxiv.  7. 

Do  afflictions  discourage  you  ;  '•  Look  unto  Jesus,  the  author  and 
finisher  of  the  faith,  who,  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before  him,  endu- 


XVm.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  46—49.  381 

red  the  cross,  despising  the  shame,  and  is  set  down  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  throne  of  God,"  Heb.  xii  2.  "It  behooved  Christ  to  suffer 
all  things  first,  and  then  to  enter  into  his  glory,"  Lukexxiv.  26.  *'If 
we  suffer  with  him,  we  shall  also  be  glorified  with  him,"  Rom.  viii. 
17.  O  friends,  how  doubly  sweet  will  your  sorrows  be,  when  ye 
shall  be  revealed  with  him  in  glory  !  what  a  fair  prospect  will  it  be, 
when  "  ye  shall  be  taken  up  "  in  the  sight  of  your,  and  the  Lord's 
enemies,  "  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  and  so  shall  be 
for  ever  with  the  Lord  I  My  soul  saith,  yea,  let  all  the  people  say 
Amen,  yea  Amen»" 


(  382  ) 


CHRIST 


KING  AND  JUDGE. 


XIX.  LORD'S  DAY. 


Psalm  ex.  1.  2.  The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  at  my  right 
hand,  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool.  The  Lord  shall 
send  the  rod  of  thy  strength  out  of  Zion  ;  rule  thou  in  the  midst 
of  thine  enemies. 

Q.  50.   WM/  is  it  added,  "  Jnd  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God  ?" 

A.  Because  Christ  is  ascended  into  heaven  for  this  end,  that  he 
xnif^ht  there  appear  as  head  of  the  church,  by  whom  the  Father 
governs  all  things. 

Q.  51.   What  firojit  is  this  glory  of  Christ  our  head  unto  us  ? 

A.  First,  that  by  liis  holy  Si)irit  he  poureth  out  heavenly  graces 
\ipon  us  his  members ;  and  then,  that  by  his  power  he  defends  and 
preserves  us  against  all  enemies. 

Q.  52.  What  comfort  is  it  to  thee^  that  **  Christ  shall  come  again  to 
judge  the  quick  and  the  dead  ?'* 

A.  That  in  all  my  sorrows  and  persecutions,  with  uplifted  head, 
I  look  for  the  very  same  Person,  who  before  offered  himself  for  my 
«ake,  to  the  tribunal  of  God,  and  hath  removed  all  curse  from  me  ; 
to  come  as  Judge  from  heaven  :  who  shall  cast  all  his  and  my  ene- 
mies into  everlastin;q;  condemnation,  but  shall  translate  me  with  all 
his  chosen  ones  to  himself,  into  heavenly  joys  and  glory- 


XIX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  50—52.  383 

X  AKE  silver  and  gold,  and  make  crowns,  and  set  them  on  the 
head  of  Joshua,  the  son  of  Josedek,  the  high  priest."  Thus  the 
Lord  commanded  the  prophet  Zechariah,  Zech.  vi.  U.  Among 
the  several  ornaments  of  the  high  priest,  the  golden  plate,  inscribed 
»'  Holiness  to  the  Lord,"  and  placed  on  his  forehead,  shone  forth 
with  special  lustre  ;  yea,  this  was  a  holy  crown  to  the  high  priest. 
Exod.  xxix.  6.  But  this  was  too  little  for  Joshua  the  high  priest  i 
the  prophet  must  make  for  him,  other  crowns,  and  set  them  on  his 
head,  and  therefore  also  say  to  him,  "  Thus  speaketh  the  Lord  of 
hosts,  saying  Behold  the  man  whose  name  is  the  Branch,  and  he 
shall  grow  up  out  of  his  place,  and  he  shall  build  the  temple  of  the 
Lord,  and  he  shall  bear  the  glory,  and  shall  sit,  and  rule  upon  his 
throne,  and  he  shall  be  a  priest  upon  his  throrae,"  Zech.  vi.  12,  13, 
It  is  not  to  be  doubted  but  that  Joshua  the  high  priest  was,  like  every 
other  lawful  high  priest,  a  type  of  the  Messiah,  the  man  whose 
name  is  Branch ;  but  herein  Joshua  excelled  the  other  high  priests, 
that  crowns  of  silver  and  gold  were  set  upon  his  head,  as  a  greater 
and  worthier  type  of  the  Messiah.  The  other  high  priests  were 
types  of  this  Branch,  as  the  only  and  perfect  high  priest ;  but  Josh- 
ua, when  these  crowns  were  set  upon  his  head,  and  the  signification 
of  them  explained  to  him,  became  also  a  type  of  the  iVlessiah  as 
king,  and  fereshowed  particularly  that  the  offices  of  king  and  priest, 
which  were  never  united  together  in  one  person  and  tribe  in  Israel, 
should  both  bs  administered  by  him,  in  order  that  he  might  "  build 
the  temple  of  the  Lord."  Like  Mtlchizedek,  he  should  be  also  king 
of  Salem,  and  a  priest  of  the  most  high  God.  And  truly  our  Jesus 
is  both  high  priest  and  king.  As  high  priest  he  hath  obtained  an 
eternal  redemption,  and  as  king  he  applies  it  ;  as  high  priest  he  a- 
scended  into  heaven,  and  entered  thus  into  the  true  sanctuary,  as 
we  have  seen  in  the  former  Lord's  day  ;  and  as  king  ihe  sits  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  to  rule  upon  his  throne,  which  will  appear  partic- 
ularly in  the  last  judgment ;  and  this  we  must  show  at  present. 

We  must  attend  in  this  Lord's  day  to  two  particulars  with  respect 
to  the  exalted  Mediator : 

I.  His  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  as  king. 

II.  His  coming  again  to  judgment,  as  judge. 

These  are  two  great  articles  of  our  faith,  and  they  contain  many 
and  important  matters  ;  but  we  cannot  exhibit  them  all  at  present  on 
account  of  the  brevity  of  our  method  ;  and  we  v/ill  therefore  remark 
only  the  principal  particulars. 

h  The  first  head  is  explained  by  the  instructor  in  the  fiftieth  ques- 


384  CHRIST  A  KING  AND  JUDGE, 

tion  ;  and  the  advantages  are  then  shown  in  the  fifty-first  question. 

The  instructor,  in  order  to  explain  Christ's  sitting  at  the  right 
hand  of  GoJ,  asks  why  it  is  added,  "  and  sitteth  at  the  right  hand 
of  God,"  to  show  that  Christ's  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God  is 
differ-^nt  from  his  ascension  into  heaven  ;  for  though  Enoch  and  Eli- 
jah ascended  into  heaven,  they  did  not  sit  at  the  right  hand  of  God  ; 
but  Christ  ascended  into  heaven,  that  he  might  sit  at  the  right  hand 
of  God.  Therefore  Mark  saith,  "  The  Lord  was  received  up  into 
heaven^  and  sat  on  the  right  hand  of  God,"  Mark  xvi.  19. 

In  order  to  know  wherein  it  consists  to  be  on  the  right  hand  of 
God,  we  must  observe,  that  this  is  not  to  be  understood  in  a  proper 
sense,  or  of  a  bodily  posture  ;  for  as  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  hath  there- 
fore no  hands,  the  Son  of  God  cannot  be  in  a  bodily  m..nner  at  his 
right  hand.  When  a  right  hand  is  ascribed  to  the  Lord,  we  must 
explain  it  in  a  manner  which  becomes  God,  and  according  to  his 
word  :  now  the  word  of  God  understands  by  his  right  hand,  (a)  the 
special  favour  which  he  showeth  to  them  who  are  the  objects  of  his 
favour,  as  we  show  favour  with  the  right  hand,  and  not  so  much  with 
the  left.  So  David  speaks  of  it,  Psalm  xx.  6,  "  The  saving  strength 
of  his  right  hand."  (b)  The  majesty  and  glory  of  God,  which  he 
manifests  especially  in  heaven  ;  for  the  right  hand  is  considered  as  the 
most  honourable.  So  we  read  of  "the  right  hand  of  the  majesty 
on  high,"  Hcb.  1.  2*  (c)  By  the  right  hand  of  God  is  also  under- 
stood the  power,  dominion,  and  government  of  the  Lord  over  all ;  for 
our  greatest  strength  is  in  our  right  hand,  an  1  by  that  we  govern  all 
Dur  actions.  In  this  sense  do  we  find  the  right  hand  of  God,  Psalm 
xvii.  7,  "  Thou  savest  them  which  put  their  trust  in  thee,  from  them 
'  that  rise  up  against  thy  right  hand  ;"  that  is,  against  thy  mighty  do- 
minion.    It  is  said, 

I.  That  Christ  is  at  God's  right  hand,  by   which  it   is   intimated, 
(a)  that  he  is  in  heaven  in  the  enjoyment  of  bis  Father's  special  and 
full  favour,  by  which  he  fully  enjoys  the  greatest  happiness.    There- 
fore he  saith.  Psalm  xxi.  "  Thou  wilt  show  me  the  way  of  life  :  in 
thy  presence  is  fulness  of  Joy  :  at  thy  right  hand  there  are    plea- 
sures  for  evermore."     Peter,   explaining  these   words,  represents 
the  Saviour  as  saying,  "  Thou  hast  made  known  to   me  the   ways 
of  life  ;  thou  shalt  make  me  full  of  joy  by  thy    countenance,"   Acts 
ii.  28.     And  thus  Jesus  is  "the  man  of  God's  right  hand,"  Psalm 
Ixxx.  17.     As  Jacob  called  his  youngest  son,  on  account  of  his  spe- 
cial affection  for  him,  Benjamin,  that  is,  son  of  the   right   hand. 
(b)  Th'dt  he  is   exalted   to  the    higheL:t  honour  and  glory,   so  that 
"  every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on   earth,  and  under   the 


XIX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q,  50—52.  385 

earth,  and  which  is  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  is  in  them,  must  say,  Bles- 
sing, and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power  unto  him  that  sitteth  on  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever,"  Rev.  v.  13.  And  so 
"  God  hath  highly  exalted  him,  and  hath  given  him  a  name,  which 
is  above  every  name  ;  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should 
bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  in  earth,  and  tl.ings  under  the 
earth  ;  and  that  every  tongue  should  confess,  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father,"  Philip  ii  9,  10,  11.  For 
when  we  set  any  person  at  our  right  hand  we  honour  him  ;  so  Solo- 
mon set  hi's  mother  on  his  right  hand  to  honour  her,  1  Kings  ii.  19, 
and  thus  the  bridegroom  places  the  bride  on  his  right  hand,  to  hon- 
our her,  Psalm  xlv.  9.  And  so  "  Jesus  sat  down  on  the  right  liand 
of  the  majesty  on  high,"  Heb.  i.  3.  viii.  1.  Yea,  he  is  thus  glori- 
fied more  than,  the  most  glorious  angels  ;  "  for  to  which  of  the  angels 
said  he  at  any  time,  sit  on  my  right  hand  until  I  make  thine  ene- 
mies thy  foocstool  ?"  Heb.  i.  13.  Christ's  being  at  Gcd's  right  hnnd 
consists  also,  (c)  in  his  being  appointed  by  the  Father  to  be  a  ruler 
and  a  king  over  all,  and  particularly  over  his  church  ;  and  so  "  the 
Father  hath  made  him  sit  with  him  in  his  throne,"  Rev.  iii.  21,  and 
the  Father  therefote  governs  all  things  by  him.  This  hath  respect 
to  the  cnstom  of  sovereign  rulers,  who,  when  they  adopt  others  or 
their  followrulers,  place  them  on  their  right  hand.  So  the  mother 
of  Zebedee's  children,  when  she  desired  that  her  sons  might  be  the 
first  after  the  Lord  Jesus  in  his  kingdom,  requested,  saying,  MiUt. 
XX.  21,"  Grant  that  these  my  two  sons  may  sit,  the  one  on  thy  ri,9;ht 
hand,  and  the  other  on  the  leit  in  thy  kingdom."  Of  David's  sons 
it  is  said,  that  "they  were  Princes,"  2  Sam.  viii.  18,  and  so  they 
were  also  "  the  first  at  the  hand  of  the  king'"  1  Chron.  xviii. 
ir.  In  this  sense  the  catechism  explains  Christ's  sitting  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  when  it  saith,  that  "  Christ  is  ascended  into  heav- 
en for  this  end,  that  he  might  appear  there  as  head  of  his  Cbiistian 
church,  by  whom  the  Father  governs  all  things  ;  see  the  fiftitth 
question.  And  truly  the  instructor  speaks  here  according  to  the 
word  of  God  ;  for  Peter  saith.  Acts  ii.  33,  36,  "  He  therefore  being 
exalted  by  the  right  hand  of  God,  let  all  the  house  of  Israel  know 
assuredly,  that  God  hath  made  that  s^me  Jesus  whom  ye  have  ci\ici- 
fied,  both  Lord  and  Christ."  And  Paul,  explaining  our  text,  saith, 
1  Cor.  XV.  25,  "  He  must  reign  until  he  hath  put  all  things  under 
his  feet."  Therefore  it  is  also  said,  that  "  God  hath  exalted  him  at 
his  right  hand  to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,"  Acts  v.  31.  To 
which  also  pertains,  that  "  the  Father  hath  put  all  things  under  his 
feet,"  as  Paul  and  Peter  speak,  Eph.  i,  20 — 23.     1  Peter  ii.  21,  and 

3E 


':^t  CHRIST  A  KING  AND  JUDGE. 

that '<  the   Father  himself  is  at  the   Son's  right  hand,   and  striKtl 
through  kings  in  the  day  of  his  \^^alh,"  i^salm  ex.  5- 

2.  He  not  only  '*  is,"  but  Jie  also  "sits"  at  the  right  hand  of  Godv 
"  He  sits  on  the  right  hand  of  God,"  saith  the  apostle,  Cell,  iii  1,, 
which  intimates,  (a)  his  ai^'reeable  resting  from  his  painful  labour; 
for  we  sit  in  order  to  rest,  {b)  his  actual  emi^loyment  in  the  exercise: 
of  his  dominion,  and  judicial  pouer :  for  a  king  sits  down  on  his 
throne,  in  order  to  exercise  his  dominion,  and  to  maintain  justice, 
Psahn  ix.  4,  "  l"l-.ou  hast  maintained  my  right  and  my  cause,  thou 
satte^t  on  tiie  throne,  judg.ng  right."  And  (c)  his  stabilty  and  con- 
tinuance in  his  government ;  for  "  he  shall  rule  over  the  house  of 
Jacob  for  ever,  and  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end,"  Luke  i. 
33.  For  he  who  sits  down,  shows  that  he  intends  to  continue; 
Thus  it  is  said  of  the  Saviour,  Isaiah  xvi  5.  "  A  throne  shall  be 
establislied  in  mercyy  and  hs  shall  sit  upon  it  constantly  in  the  taber- 
nacle of  David."  * 

3.  It  is  ako  said,  that  he  "  stanxls  "  on  the  riglit  hand  of  God  j 
"  Stephen  saw  the  heavens  opened,  and  the  Son  of  man  standing  on 
the  right  hand  of  God,"  Acts  vii.  56.  This  was  in  order  to  mani- 
fest his  readiness  and  willingness  to  assist  Stephen  against  his  ene- 
mies, to  take  him  up  to  himself  in  g'ory,  and  to  avenge  himself  of 
his  enemies  like  a  king  y  for  he  wlio  stands  shows  that  he  is  willing 
and  ready  to  do  his  work  ;  as  the  Lord  is  represented  to  us,  Isaiah 
iii.  13.  *'  The  Lord  standeth  up  to  plead,  and  standeth  to  judge  the 
people." 

As  this  is  a  glory  cf  his  mediiatorial  office,  so  it  'S  also  proper  to 
him  according  to  both  his  natures  ;  for  his  human  nature  is  exalted 
hereby  above  all  the  saints  ixnd  the  blessed,  and  is  acknowledged  and 
glorified  by  them  to  the  utmost,  as  "  having  redeemed  them  to  God 
by  its  blood,  and  as  having  made  them  kings  and  priests  to  God," 
Rev.  V.  9.  And  thus  "  wc  see  Jesus,  who  vvas  made  a  little  lower 
than  the  angels,  for  the  suffering  of  death,  crowntd  with  glory  and 
honour,"  Heb.  ii.  9;  Compare  herewith  Heb.  xii.  2,  We  may  also 
say,  that  he  is  on  the  right  hand  of  God  according  to  his  Godhead, 
inasmuch  as  the  glory  of  the  Godhead,  Avhieh  was  concealed  before 
under  the  humbled  manhood,  was  revealed.  Therefore  he  prayed  to 
his  Fs-lher,  John  xvii*  5.  "Glorify  me,  O  Father,  with  thine  own- 
self,  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world  was." 
See  Philip,  ii.  6,  7. 

It  is  therefore  silly  in  the  Lutherans  to  hold,  that  he  is  only  ac- 

*  ^7e  have  rendered  this  ipas8ag:3  accovding  to  ihe  Ij-utch  tj*anslfttion< 


XiX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  50—52.  S87 

cordin,:^  to  his  human  nature  at  the  right  hand  of  God;  that  they 
may  conclude  therefrom,  that  his  human  nature  is  every  where, 
because  the  riglit  hand  of  God  is  every  where  :  but  although  God's 
right  hand  is  every  where,  Christ  is  not  on  that  account  according  to 
his  human  niiture  every  where  at  God's  right  hand,  but  only  in 
heaven  ;  for  "  he  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  the  majesty  on  high," 
Heb.  i.  3.  As  "  the  heaven  is  God's  throne,"  Isaiah  Ixvi.  1.  Psalm 
%i.  4,  And  therefore  "  Christ  sits  on  the  right  hand  of  the  throne 
of  the  majesty  in  tlie  heavens,"  Heb   viii.  1. 

As  his  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  Go4  was  his  reward,  and  con- 
duceth  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father,  so  it  is  alio  to  the  advantage 
of  his  elect ;  the  instructor  shows  in  the  fifty  first  question,  that  they 
receive  a  two-fold  advantage  from,  his  sitting:  on  the  right  hand  of 
God: 

1.  "  Fii-st,  that  by  his  Holy  Spirit  he  pourelh  out  heavenly  graces 
upon  us  his  members."  That  be'ievcrs  are  maiie  partakers  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  as  an  earnest  of  Christ,  who  is  ascended  from  them  into 
heaven,  is  shown  in  the  forty  ninth  question ;  but  it  is  now  shown 
tliat  they  receive  by  tlie  Holy  Spirit  the  heavenly  graces,  which  are 
sent  down  to  them  from  heaven,  and  from  the  tUrone  of  God,  which 
render  tnem  iisavenly-minded,  and  lead  them  up  to  heaven  ;  which 
graces  are  many  and  divers,  as  vve  will  show  upon  tie  twentieth 
Lord's  day,  and  are  not  shed  forth  now  in  drops  only,  as  \mder  the 
Old  Testament,  but  in  whole  streams,  according  to  the  promise 
which  was  made,  Isaiah  xliv.  3.  "  1  will  pour  water  upon  him  that 
is  thirsty,  and  ficods  upon  the  dry  g* ound :  I  wiU  pour  my  Spirit 
upon  thy  seed  and  my  blessing  upon  thine  offspring"  And  the  out- 
pouring of  these  graces  is  an  advantage,  which  we  obtyin  by  his 
sitnng  at  the  right  iiand  of  God,  as  Peter  testifieth,  Acts  ii.  33, 
"Therefore  being  exalted  by  the  ri^^ht  hand  of  God  and  having  re- 
ceived of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  hath  shed 
forth  this,  which  ye  now  see  and  hear."  ITe  hath  respect  here  to  the 
Spirit,  who  was  poured  out  at  the  f^ast  of  Pentecost :  of  which  every 
believer,  each  according  to  his  measure,  partakers,  as  well  as  the 
apostles,  according  to  what  was  promised,  Joel  ii.  28 — 32,  John  vii* 
38, 39, 

2  *'  And  then  that  by  his  power  he  defends  and  preserves  us 
against  all  enemies."  Believers  have  many  enemies,  who  seek  their 
destruction  ;  but  Jesus  preserves  them  :  even  "  the  gates  of  hell 
shall  not  preva-l  against  them,"  Matt.  xvi.  18,  for  "  all  power  is  given 
unto  him  in  heaven  and  on  earth,"  Matt,  xxviii.  18.  As  he  sits  at 
the  right  hand  of  God,  he  defends  and  preserves  them  by  thf-  right 


388  CHRIST  A  KING  AND  JUDGE. 

hand  of  his  power,  the  rod  of  his  strength,  with  which  he  rules  itt 
the  midst  of  his  enemifs,  as  the  text  shows. 

II  He  will  manifest  that  he  defends  and  preserves  them  against 
all  enemies  particularly  in  the  last  judgment ;  for  he  will  show  then 
as  judge,  that  he  is  on  the  right  hand  of  God  :  for  this  sitting  implies 
also  a  puhlic  extrcise  of  judgment  and  of  judiciary  power.  So  he 
said  to  Caiaphas,  that  he  might  terrify  him  and  the  wicked  Jewish 
Sanhedrim.  "  Hereafter  shall  ye  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  on  the 
right  hand  of  power,  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,"  Matt. 
xxvi.  64.  For  God  is  said  to  ride  and  to  come  upon  the  clouds, 
when  he  draws  near  to  judge  a  people,  Isaiah  xix    1. 

Although  God  exercises  many  and  severe  judgments  upon  human 
beings,  there  are  nevertheless  more  particularly  two  general 
judgments,  which  will  pass  on  all  men  ;  one  is  exercised  in  secret 
upon  the  soul  of  every  individual,  when  it  removes  out  of  the  body 
in  death  ;  the  soul  is  then  brought  before  God,  and  receives  of  him 
the  reward  of  that  which  was  done  in  the  body,  whether  it  were 
good  or  evil  ;  the  other  will  be  exercised  in  public  upon  body  and 
soul  at  the  last  day.  Of  this  judgment  the  creed  and  the  instructor 
speak  in  the  fifty  second  question. 

In  order  to  treat  of  the  last  ludgment  in  such  a  manner  as  shall 
conduce  to  our  advantage,  we  must  attend  to  these  three  particulars, 
1,  To  the  nature  of  this  judgment,  2,  to  the  reality  of  the  judgment, 
3,  to  the  comfort  that  believers  receive  from  the  expectation  of  the 
judgment. 

1.  With  respect  to  the  first  particular,  the  nature  of  this  judg- 
ment, wc  learn  wherein  it  will  consist,  (a)  by  the  judge  who  shall 
judge,  (b)  by  the  persons  who  shall  be  judged,  (c)  the  matters  that 
shall  be  brought  into  judgment,  (d)  the  judiciary  procedure,  or  the 
manner  in  which  this  judgment  shall  be  exercised  and  holden,  and, 
(e)  the  circumstances  of  this  judgment.  The  brevity  of  our  method 
will  permit  us  to  say  only  a  few  words  to  each  of  these  particulars, 
(a)  The  Judge  in  this  judgment,  saith  Paul,  is  God,  Heb.  xii.  23. 
But  God  the  Father  will  not  judge  by  himself,  but  by  his  Son  :  *'  the 
man  whom  he  hath  ordained,  of  which  he  hath  given  assurance  to 
all  men,  in  that  he  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead,"  Acts  xvii.  31. 
The  Father  set  him  at  his  right  hand,  that  he  might  be  Mediator, 
and  it  belont^s  also  to  his  Mediatorship  to  judge  as  a  judge.  Yea, 
the  Father  hath  committed  the  work  of  judging  to  him,  because  it 
is  his  will,  that  it  should  be  exercised  in  a  public  and  visible  manner  ; 
for  'le.  beuig  also  man,  can  appear  visibly  :  "  For  the  Father  judgeth 
no  man  j  but  hath  committed  all  judgment  unto  the  Son  ;  and  hath 


XIX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  50^52.  389 

given  him  authority  to  execute  judgment  also,  because  he  is  the  Son 
of  man,"  John  v.  22,  27.  *'  He  came  not  indeed  to  judge,  but  to  save 
the  world,  John  iii  17.  xii.  47,  but  he  will  come  hereafter  to  judge. 
"  The  saints  also  shall  judge  the  world  and  angels,"  1  Cor.  y\.  3, 
but  it  will  be  only  with  a  judgment  of  appiobation,  by  whfch  they 
will  approve  of  the  sentence  of  the  Judge,  as  they  do  with  respect  to 
"  his  judging  the  great  whore,"  Rev.  xix.  1,  2. 

(h)  Every  reasonable  creature  will  be  cited  before  this  Judge  ; 
for  '*  not  only  the  angels  will  be  judged,"  1  Cor.  vi.  3.  "  The  angels 
that  sinned  were  cast  into  hell,  and  delivered  into  chains  of  darkness, 
to  be  reserved  unto  judgment,"  2  Peter  ii.  4.  Thus  Jude  also 
speaks  in  his  epistle,  in  the  sixth  verse.  But  all  men  hkewise  will 
be  cited  before  this  Judge,  as  well  those  who  have  been,  as  t"ose 
who  are  now,  and  those  also  who  shall  be  hereafter  ;  whether  they 
be  high  or  low,  rich  or  poor,  men  or  women,  young  or  old,  righteous 
or  wicked,  dead  or  yet  living,  also  thou  and  I :  "  For  we  must  all 
appear  before  the  judjj^ment  seat  of  Christ,"  2  Cor.  v.  10. 

(c.)  But  upon  what  matters  shall  this  judgment  be  holden  ?  Paul 
saith  that  it  will  be  holden  upon  "  that  which  is  done  in  the  body, 
whether  it  be  good  or  evil,"  2  Cor.  v.    10.     All  the  good  actions  of 
God's  children,  although  they  have  not  considered  their  actions  as 
good  on  account  of  their  impurity  ;  but  especially  their  works  of 
mercy,  will  be  brought  to  light  by  the  great  Judge,   will  be  highly 
esteemed  by  him,  and  extolled  as  evidences  of  their  good  state.  The 
Judge  himself  showeth  this,  Matt.  xxv.  35 — 40.     The  ungodly  will 
be  obliged  to  render  an  account  of  all  their  wicked  actions,  whether 
sins  of  omission  or  commission,  or  sins  of  their  thoughts  ;  for  '*  God 
will  judge  the  secrets  of  men  by  Jesus  Christ,"  Rom.  ii.  16.  1  Cor. 
iv.  5  ;  or  words,  as  well  "  idle  \\ords,"   Matt.  xii.  36,  as  "  all  hard 
words,"  according  to  the  fifteenth  verse  of  the  epistle  of  Jude ;  or 
deeds,  so  Jude  speaks  also  in  the  same  verse.     We  dare  not  decide 
positively  whether  the  sins  of  believers  will  also  be  produced  in  this 
judgment,   althou^  it  is  highly  probable  that  they  will  :  for  not  to 
alledge  all  that  might  be  offered  here,  v/hen  the  sins  of  the  uns:odly, 
into  which  they  have  seduced  the  godly,   will  be  brought  to  Hght,  it 
will  then  be  necessary  that  the  sins  of  believers  should  also  be  men- 
tioned.    '*  But  however  this  may  be,  they  will  not  be  upbraided  v/ith 
their  sins,  as  unatoned,  and  as  subj^-cting  them  to  condemnation. 

(d)  In  order  that  we  may  consider  the  nature  of  this  judgment 
more  particularly,  we  must  attend  also  to  the  judiciary  procedure 
of  it.    To  this  pertains,  (a)  the  constituting  of  the  tribunal  or  the 


390  CHRIST  A  KING  AND  JUDGE. 

court  of  judgment,  (b)  the  examination,  (c)  the  sentence,  and  (d)  th^ 
execution  of  the  sentence, 

(a)  The  constitming  of  the  tribunal  or  court  of  judgment  will 
begin  with  a  terrible  commotion  m  hcuven  and  on  earth  ;  the  Judge 
Jesus  will  appear  in  the  ciouds,  beiore  the  eyes  of  every  individual, 
in  a  most  glorious  manner,  sui rounded  with  the  lios's  of  heaven,  and 
*'  he  will  taeielorc  ccme  again"  to  judge  *'  in  the  same  manner,  in 
which  tlie  apostles  saw  nim  depart,"  Acts  i.  9,  10,  11.  Upon  which 
the  dead  will  be  raisecl  up,  and  with  all  those  who  will  remain  alive, 
be  cited  and  bioughi  before  the  judgment  seat.  The  Judge  him- 
self declares  tnis,  rMatt.  XXIV.  29,  oO,  31.  "  The  sun  shall  be  dark- 
ened, and  tne  moon  stiall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fail 
from  heaven,  and  me  powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be  shaken.  And 
then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  in  heaven  ;  and  then 
shall  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn,  and  they  shall  see  the  Son  of 
man  comin,^  m  the  clouds  of  heaven,  with  power  and  great  glory. 
And  he  stiall  send  his  angels  v/ah  a  great  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and 
they  shall  gather  together  his  elect  from  the  four  winds,  ftom  one 
end  of  heaven  to  tiie  other."  And  that  all  things  may  be  conducted 
in  a  more  orderly  manner,  all  men  will  not  pass  confusedly  together, 
but  tiie  Judge  will  separate  the  godly  from  the  wicked,  and  he  will 
place  the  godly  on  his  right  hand,  and  the  wicked  on  his  left.  Matt. 
XXV.  31,  32,  33, 

(b)   Hereupon  will  follow  the  examination,  which  will  be  exceed- 
ingly strict,  like  an  examination  from   certain  books.     In  this  man- 
ner was  the  judgment  exhibited  to  John  in  a  vision,  Rev.  xx.  12. 
"  1  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God,   and  the  books 
were  opened  :   and  another  book  was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of 
life  ;  and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those  things  which  were  writ- 
ten in  the  books,  according  to  their  works."  See  also  Dan   vii.  lO. 
These  are  not  real  books,  but  books  figuratively  so  called,  of  different 
kinds,  to  wit,  (a)  that  in  which  the  duty  of  man  is  written,  or  made 
known  ;  either  the  book  of  nature^   from  which  the  heathens,  who 
will  be  cited,  will  learn  what  they  ought  to  have  done,  according  to 
the  discovery  which  God  had  made  to  them  of  himself  and  of  his 
law  in  their  nature  ;  or  the  beck  of  scripture,  and  the  revelation  of 
the  gospel,  according  to  which  those  only,   who  have  had  the  scrip- 
ture,  will  be   informed   what   they  ought    to   have  been  and  done ; 
"  For  as  many  as  have  sinned  Avithout  law,  shall  also  perish  without 
law ;  and  as  many  as  have  sinned  in  the  law  shall  be  judged  by  the 
law  "  Rom.  ii.  12.  (b)  Moreover,  the  book  and  the  register  of  men's 
actions,  to  wit,  the  omniscience  of  God,  will  be  opened.     As  God 


XIX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  50—52.  Sfl 

records  all  the  calamities  of  his  children,  as  it  were,  in  a  book,  so  he 
doth  all  their  virtues.  Sec  Psalm  Ivi.  8.  And  he  will  reveal  them  pub* 
licly  before  the  whole  world  in  all  their  lustre,  as  we  have  seen.  Matt. 
XXV.  35 — 40.  And  he  keeps  in  the  same  manner  by  his  omniscience 
a  book  of  remembrance  of  all  the  sins  of  the  wicked  and  *'  he  will 
set  them  in  order  before  thera"  on  that  day.  This  we  see,  Mai.  iii. 
16.  Psalm  li.  21.  But  that  the  justice  of  God  may  appear  pubhcly, 
when  he  doth  not  bring  the  sins  of  the  righteous  to  light  for  their 
condemnation,"  another  book  which  is  the  book  of  life,  will  be  open- 
ed," Rev.  XX.  12,  and  it  will  be  made  known,  that  they  were  chosen 
and  written  in  it  to  life  ;  and  not  only  this,  but  **  the  book  of  the 
life  of  the  Lamb  will  also  be  opened,"  Kev  xxi.  27.  That  is,  the 
book  of  the  council  of  peace,  or  of  the  covenant  of  redemption,  made 
from  eternity  by  the  Father  with  the  Son,  into  which  the  names  of 
the  elect  were,  if  V/e  may  so  say,  transcribed.  See  John  xvii.  6. 
This  book  will  be  opened,  that  is,  it  will  be  manifested,  that  Jesus  is 
the  Surety  of  the  elect,  and  that  he  hath  satisfied  for  them  ;  and 
that  they  therefore  cannot  be  condemned  on  account  of  their  sins, 
according  to  Rom.  iii.  25,  26.  Thus  speaks  the  Saviour,  John  iii. 
18.  "  He  who  believeth  on  the  Son  is  not  condemned-"  (c)  That  it 
may  now  appear,  that  he  judgeth  according  to  truth,  the  book  of  the 
tijstimony  of  truth  will  also  be  opened,  when  all  thiogs  will  be  dis- 
covered, and  recur  in  a  lively  manner  to  the  consciences  of  men, 
how  much  soever  they  may  be  blinded  and  hardened  in  this  life ; 
for  if"  the  consciences  of  the  heathens  do  now  bear  witness,  and  if 
their  thoughts  do  now  accuse  them,"  Rom.  ii.  15,  xvhat  will  it  be 
then,"  when  the  Lord  will  come,  and  will  bring  to  light  the  hidden 
things  of  darkness,  and  make  manifest  the  counsels  of  the  hearts  ?" 
1  Cor.  iv.  5. 

(c)  After  all  things  have  been  btrictly  e^tamined  in  this  manner, 
the  sentence  will  be  pronounced,  in  the  sweetest  and  most  ravishmg 
words  upon  the  righteous,  and  every  word  will  be  most  emphatical ; 
for  the  King  will  say  unto  them  on  his  right  hand,  Come,  ye  blessed 
of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world,"  Matt-  xxv.  34.  But  in  a  terrible  manner  and 
in  his  wrath  "  will  he  say  to  them  on  his  lift  hand,  Depart  from  me, 
ye  cursed,  into  everlastmg  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels^" 
Matt.  xxv.  41. 

(d)  Whereupon  the  execution  of  the  sentence  will  also  imme- 
diately follow  ;  for  "  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment; 
but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal,"  Matt  xxv,  46.     For  which  pur- 


392  CHRIST  A  KING  AND  JUDGE. 

pose  the  angels  will  be  employed,  as  the  Lord  Jesus  foretells,  Matt, 
xiii.  40—45. 

(e)  We  must  now  also  attend  to  the  circumstances  of  this  judg- 
ment :  these  are,  (1)  the  time,  (2)  the  place,  and  (3)  the  qualities  of 
this  judgment. 

1.  The  time  when  this  judgment  will  be  holden  is  certain  and, 
determined  ;  for  "  God  hath  appointed  a  day  in  which  he  will  judge 
the  world  in  righteousness,"  Acts  xvii.  31,  and  it  is  called  "the  last 
day,"  John  xii.  48-  But  when  that  time  will  be  is  unknown  to  us, 
no  less  than  it  was  to  the  Son  of  man,  according  to  his  human  nature, 
"srhile  he  w^as  conversant  on  earth,  Mark  xiii.  32.  Nevertheless  we 
know  that  the  time  draweth  near,  and  is  at  hand  :  "  The  end  of  all 
things  is  at  hand,"  said  the  apostle,  even  in  his  time,  I  Peter  iv.  7. 
Hov/  much  more  is  that  time  th.n  now  near  at  hand  ? 

2.  The  place  will  be  in  the  air,  upon  the  clouds  ;  for  "  we  shall 
be  taken  up  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,"  saith  the 
apost  e,  I  Thess.  iv.  17.  But  the  script'ue  doth  not  inform  us  near 
what  region  of  the  earth.  The  papists  say,  that  the  judgment  will 
be  holden  in  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  because  the  Lord  saith,  Joel 
iii.  1 — 21.  "  That  he  will  bring  the  heathen  into  the  valley  of  Jeho- 
shaphat, and  plead  with  them  there  ;"  but  that  chapter  treats  not  of 
the  general  judginent,  but  of  a  certain  particular  one  on  the  heathens, 
in  the  manner  of  a  battle  and  war,  as  every  one  may  see,  vrs.  8 — 14. 

3.  The  qualities  of  this  judgment  are,  (a)  ^hnt  it  will  be  dreadful 
to  the  wicked ;  for  when  they  will  unexpectedly  see  him,  whom  they 
despised,  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  that  to  examine  and 
destroy  them,  on  account  of  all  their  evil  doings,  how  will  their 
hearts  then  fail  for  fear  I  and  how  will  "all  the  kindreds  of  the 
earth  wail  because  of  him  I"  Rev.  i.  7,  and  so  much  the  more,  be- 
cause they  will  not  hz  able  to  deprecate  the  sentence,  nor  be  able, 
nor  be  permitted  to  appeal  from  it  to  a  higher  judicature,  (b)  It 
will  be  a  comfortable  sentence  to  the  righteous,  as  we  will  show 
anon,  (c)  It  will  also  be  a  righteous  judgment;  for  "  God  w^ill 
render  to  every  man  according  to  his  deeds,"  Rom.  ii.  5,  6.  The 
destruction  of  the  wicked  will  be  the  deserved  recompence  of  their 
works  ;  but  eternal  salvation  will  be  recompensed  to  the  righteous 
according  to  their  works,  forasmuch  as  their  works  are  certain  evi- 
dences, that  they  are  the  favoured  people  of  the  Lord,  and  are  re- 
conciled to  God  through  Christ ;  for  Christ  will  produce  iheir  works 
of  mercy,  v.'hich  they  have  shown  to  the  least  of  his  brethren,  as 
evidences,  that  they  are  the  blessed  of  his  Father,  and  he  will  there- 
upon call  them  into  t!ie  kingdom  prepared  for  them,  Matt.  xxv.  34-40, 


XIX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  50—52.  39S 

2,  Christians  believe  on  the  surest  evidences,  that  Christ  will  really 
come  to  judgment ;  for  all  the  saints  from  the  beginning  of  the 
world  until  John,  the  last  of  the  holv  writers,  believed  in  Christ's 
coming  to  judgment,  they  inculcated  it  upon  their  people,  and  com- 
forted them  therewith  in  all  thf  ir  tribulations,  as  we  might  show  in 
order,  but  we  deem  it  unnecessary  on  account  of  the  brevity  of  our 
method,  to  alledge  every  passage  of  scripture  ;  those  which  wc  have 
already  cited  are  sufficient.  But  besides  this,  we  have  many  reasons, 
on  account  of  which  we  must  expect  such  a  judgment ;  for  (a) 
Christ  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  that  every  knee  may  bow  to 
him  :  but  the  world  doth  not  behold  his  glory,  it  trampl  .-s  without 
concern  upon  his  laws,  and  injures  his  people.  What  think  ye  I 
doth  he  not  take  this  ill  ?  will  he  not  revenge  it  ?  M'ill  he  not  one 
day  reveal  his  glory  ?  and  how  will  he  do  it  ?  must  he  not  for  this 
end,  "  sitting  thus  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  come  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven,"  as  he  threatened  the  Jewish  council  ?  (b)  The  justice  of 
God  requireth,  that  the  good  should  fare  wtll,  and  the  bad  ill.  Now, 
this  doth  not  appear  so  much  at  pi  esent ;  the  good  are  filled  with 
bitter  things,  and  the  bad  spend  then-  days  in  good.  How  shall  it 
appear,  that  God  is  righteous,  if  he  do  not  manifest  it  after  this  life 
by  the  general  judgment?  Paul  reasoneth  thus,  2  Thess.  i.  6 — 10. 
(c)  Doth  not  the  sinner  think  that  God  is  like  himself,  as  though 
God  forgot  his  sins,  as  he  himself  forgets  them  ?  yea,  dolh  he  not 
jest  with  the  judgment,  saying  in  his  heart,  "  Every  one  that  doth 
evil  is  good  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  he  delighteth  in  them  :  or, 
**  where  is  the  God  of  judgment?"  Mai.  ii.  17.  Can  the  Lord  in- 
deed suffer  this  ?  must  he  not  one  day  bring  such  a  scoffer  into 
judgment,  '*  reprove  him,  and  set  these  things  in  order  before  him  ?'* 
Psalm  1.  21.  (d)  IVIen  have  a  natural  apprehension  of  the  general 
judgment,  yea,  even  the  heathen  have  ;  for  their  conscience  accuseth 
them,  Rom.  ii.  15.  And  if  this  judgment  were  not  to  be  expected, 
would  not  the  world  be  still  more  abominable,  and  intolerable  than 
it  is  ?  but  the  fear  of  such  a  judgment  restrains  the  wickedness  of 
the  world. 

3.  Although  the  wicked  ought  to  shudder  and  tremble  at  this 
judgment,  it  is  matter  of  joy  and  comfort  to  believers  ;  for  the  day 
of  judgment  is  to  them  '*  a  time  of  refreshing,"  Acts  iii.  19,  **  of  re- 
demption," Luke  xxi.  28,  and  of  "  crowning,"  2  Tim  iv  8.  Many 
are  their  sorrows  and  persecutions ;  but  in  the  midst  of  them  they 
may  with  courage,  with  uplifted  heads,  and  with  longing,  look  for 
the  Judge  from  heaven  to  judgment.  The  Judge  himself  encour- 
ageth  them  to  this,  Luke  xxi.   28.    «  When  these  things,"  the 

3F 


394  CHRIST  A  KING  AND  JUDGE, 

various  commotions  in  heaven  and  earth,  at  his  coming  to  judgment, 
*'  begin  to  take  place,  then  look  up,  and  lift  up  your  heads  ;  for 
your  redemption  ciraweth  aigh.  **  They  may  ''  look  for,  and  hasten 
to  toe  cominj^  of  the  day  of  Cjod,"  2  Peter  in.  12.  They  have  also 
reasons  for  this ;  since,  (a)  as  the  instructor  saith,  '*  they  look  for 
the  very  same  Pei^on,  who  before  offered  hiraselt  for  their  sakes 
to  the  tribunal  of  God,  end  hatli  removed  all  curse  from  them,  to 
come  as  judge  from  heaven."  This  the  instructor  also  learned  of 
Paul  f;om  i  Thess.  i  10.  "To  wait  for  his  Son  from  heaven, 
>vhom  he  raised  from  the  dead,  even  Jesus,  who  delivered  us  from 
the  wrath  to  come."  This  that  apostle  teacheth  also,  Titus  ii.  13, 
14.  And  so  they  look  for  their  Surety,  Redeemer,  and  Advocate, 
whom  they  have  chosen,  sought,  and  found  to  be  their  friend,  ^o  Job 
did  in  his  book,  chap.  xix.  25  —27,  (b)  He  will  also,  when  he  cometh 
to  judgment,  '^  cast  all  his  and  their  enemies  into  everlasting  con- 
deuinaiion  "  They  frequently  wish  now,  that  they  were  delivered 
from  tneir  enemies,  nevertheless  not  from  rsvenge  :  no,  they  will 
bless,  though  they  be  cursed  :  but  it  pleaseth  the  Lord  to  try  and 
exercise  them  by  enemies  ;  yt- 1  when  that  day  comes,  (and  lo  it  will 
come)  t;ien  they  will  be  delivered  from  them.  This  expectation 
ought  to  comfort  them  ;  fear  not,  ve  afflicted,  tossed  w  ith  a  tempest, 
and  not  comforted,  stand  still,  behold  the  salvation  of  the  Lord  which 
he  will  shev,'  you ;  your  enemies,  whom  ye  see  to  day,  ye  shall  see 
BO  more  for  ever  ;  and  then  ''  death  and  hell,"  that  is,  all  that  is  as 
a  death  and  heil  to  you, ''  shall  be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,"  Rev. 
XX.  U.  .-.nd  thus  *'  the  righteous  sh-iU  rejoice,  when  he  beholds  the 
ven;<eunce,"  Psalm  Iviii.  10.  (c)  Once  more,  the  great  Judge  "will 
translate  believers,  and  all  his  chosen  ones  to  himself,  into  heavenly 
joys  and  glory."  1  will  come  agam,"  saith  he  to  them,  John  xiv.  3, 
"  and  receive  you  unto  myself,  that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be 
also."  This  is  surely  their  desire,  even  to  be  with  Christ  I  this  is 
their  great  salvation  !  to  this  the  soul  aspires  now,  and  it  is  good  for 
her  to  be  near  him.  What  will  it  be  then,  when  she  will  not  be 
row  and  then  n^ar  him  here,  and  when,  unclothed  of  her  body,  she 
-will  be  taken  up  to  Christ,  her  Head,  but  when  she  *'  will  be  taken 
up"  with  her  body,  and  that  clothed  with  immortahty,"  in  the  clouds, 
to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  and  so  shall  be  ever  with  the  Lord," 
I  Thess.  iv.  17. 


XIX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q   50—52.  395 


APPLICATION' 


May  we  r,ot  infer  from  all  ihis,  (a)  that  Christ  alone  is  the  head 
of  the  church  ;  for  when  **  God  set  him  at  his  own  r  ght  hand,  he  gave 
him  to  be  the  head  over  all  things  to  the  church,"  Epli  i.  22.  And 
therefore  the  Pope  cannot  be  the  head  of  thr  church,  since  he  doth 
not  sit  at  the  nght  hand  of  God ;  bat  manifests  by  his  exalting:  of 
himself  in  the  temple  of  God,  that  he  is  the  man  of  sin,  and  the  son 
of  perdition,  whom  the  Lord  -k'iU  consume  with  the  breath  of  his 
mo  ith,  and  destroy  with  the  brig-htness  of  his  coming,"  2  Thfss. 
^-  ^ — ^  (b:  We  infer  also  from  Christ's  sitting  at  the  rieht  band 
of  God,  and  froir  his  coming  again,  the  truth  of  the  doctnnc  of 
Christians,  in  opposition  to  Jews  and  heathens,  inasmuch  as  these 
foundations  of  Christianity  are  sure  ;  for  Christ  con^rmed  them  with 
the  strongest  proofs,  when  according  to  his  prediction,  he  as  sitting  at 
the  right  hand  of  God,  destroyed  Jerusalem,  poured  out  the  Spirit, 
and  conTeited  the  world  by  the  rod  of  his  strength,  and  thus  rules 
in  the  midst  of  his  enemies.  Yea.  our  faith  in  his  coming  to  judg- 
ment, and  our  resting  cf  our  doctrine  upon  it,  is  a  proof  of  it. 

But  who  are  they,  for  whose  profit  and  comfort  he  sitttth  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  and  will  come  again  to  judgment  r  they  are  those 
who  have  been  made  partakers  of  his  heavenly  graces  of  regenera- 
tion, conrersion,  faith  and  s^incti 6 cation,  and  for  whom  he  offered 
himssif  to  the  tribunal  of  Gcd.  and  from  whoia  he  hath  rumored  all 
the  curse.  Who  these  are  we  have  shown  before  by  certain  marks, 
and  therefore  we  deem  it  unnecessary  to  do  it  her^  again. 

But  be^r  this  and  tremble,  ye  ignorant  persons*  ^  God  will  take 
Tengeance  in  fiaming  fire  upon  them  who  do  not  know  him,"  2  Thess. 
i.  8,  Careless  persons,  ye  **  men  who  are  settled  upon  your  lees,  the 
Lord  will  search  you  with  candles,"  Zeph.  i.  12.  ^  Rise  up.  ye  wo- 
men, who  are  at  ease,  hesr  my  voice,  ye  careless  daughters,  give  ear 
to  my  speech.  Many  days  and  years  shall  ye  be  trouKed,  ye  care- 
less women  ;  tremble  ye  women  that  are  at  ease  ;  be  troubled  ye 
careless  ones,"  Isaiah  xxxii.  9,  10,  11.  Hypocrites,  who  make  a  &ir 
show  externally,  but  lave  rotten  hearts,  "when  the  Lord  shall 
come,  then  he  vr^U  reveal  the  counsels  of  the  heart,"*  \  Cor.  iv.  5. 
"  Ye  serpents,  ye  geiieraiion  of  vipers,  how  shall  ye  escape  the  dam- 
nation of  heil  r"  Ma't.  xxlii  33.  Stout-hearted  sinners  :  '•  Behold 
the  Lord  cometh  with  ten  thousands  of  his  saints,  to  e:^ecute  judgment 
up-on  all,  and  to  convince  all  that  are  ungodly  among  tiiem*  of  ail 
their  ungodly  deeds,  whtch  they  have  ungodly  committed,  and  cf  all 
their  hard  speeches,  which  ungodly  sinne.*^  have  spoken  cgainst 
him,"  Jude  vrs.  U,  15.    loapeniteni  persons;  who,  nu;wiui5U::idii;g 


3»6  CHRIST  A  KING  AND  JUDGE. 

all  the  means  which  are  used  in  order  to  influence  you  to  repentance, 
continue  immovable :  ''  who  desi>ise  the  riches  of  the  goodness  of 
God,  not  knowing  that  the  goodness  of  God  leadeth  you  to  repen- 
tance :  after  your  hardness  and  impenitent  hearts,  ye  treasure  up 
for  yourselve  wrath  against  'he  clay  of  wrath,  and  revelation  of  the 
righteous  judgment  of  God,"  Rom.  ii.  4,5.  Oppressors,  opposers, 
scoffers  and  despisers  of  the  godly,  attend  only  to  what  we  find  in 
the  Apocryphal  book  of  wisdom,  chap.  v.  1 — 6.  "Then  shall  the 
righteous  man  stand  in  great  boldness  before  the  face  of  such  as 
have  afflicted  him,  and  made  no  account  of  his  labours.  When 
they  see  it,  they  shall  be  troubled  with  terrible  feai,  and  shall  be 
amazed  at  the  strangeness  of  his  salvation,  so  far  beyond  all  that 
they  looked  for.  And  they  repenting  and  groaning  for  anguish  of 
spirit,  shall  say  within  themselves,  this  was  he  whom  we  had  some- 
times in  derision,  and  a  proverb  of  reproach.  We  fools  accounted 
his  life  madness,  and  his  end  to  be  without  honour.  How  is  he 
numbered  among  the  chitdren  of  God,  and  his  lot  is  among  the 
saints  !  Therefore  have  we  erred  from  the  way  of  truth,  and  the 
light  of  righteousness  hath  not  shined  to  us,  and  the  Sun  of  right- 
eousness rose  not  upon  us."  Unchaste  j^ersons,  "  God  will  judge 
■whoremongers  and  adulterers,"  Heb.  xiii.  4.  Covetous,  avaricious, 
unrighteous  persons,  who  swallow  up  riches,  ye  shall  vomit  them  up 
again  ;  (iod  will  cast  them  out  of  your  belly,"  Job  xx.  15.  All  who 
have  not  truly  fled  from  the  wrath  to  come,  ye  may  seek  to  banish 
the  fear  of  this  judgment  out  of  your  hearts,  and  may  jest  with  it, 
thh iking  or  saying,  where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming  ?  or  ye  may 
seek  to  put  the  evil  day  far  away  from  you,  or  with  the  foolish  vir- 
gins may  indulge  yourselves  in  carelessness,  relying  upon  your  pro- 
fession of  religion ;  this  judgment  will  overtake  you  unawares  : 
"  when  ye  shall  say,  peace  and  safety,  then  sudden  destruction  shall 
come  upon  you,  as  travail  upon  a  woman  with  child  ;  and  ye  shall 
not  escape,"  I  Thess.  v.  3.  The  trumpet  which  will  blow  will  awa- 
ken you :  "  The  hand  of  God  will,"  with  perfect  ease  "  find  out  all 
his  enemies,  his  right  hand  shall  find  out  them  that  hate  him.  He 
shall  make  them  as  a  fiery  oven  in  the  time  of  his  anger:  the  Lord 
shall  swallow  them  up  in  his  wrath,  and  the  fire  shall  devour  them," 
Psalm  xxi.  8,  9.  O  how  will  his  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God, 
and  his  appearing  to  yon  as  a  Judge,  affright  you  1  "for  ye  will  j,ay 
to  the  mountains  and  rocks,  fall  on  us.  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of 
him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  : 
for  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come  ;  and  who  shall  be  able  to 
stand  ?"  Rev.vi.  16,  17. 


XIX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  50—52,  ^97 

0  that  the  terrour  of  the  Lord  might  persuade  you  to  believe,  to 
flee  to  his  throne  of  grace,  upon  which  he  still  sits  at  his  Father's 
right  hand.  To  this  end  are  these  things  made  known  to  you.  See 
this,  2  Cor.  v.  10,  11.  Yea,  repent  yet,  for  ye  are  still  invited  to 
this.  Hear  what  Paul  saith  to  the  Athenians,  and  also  to  you,  Acts 
vii.  30,  31.  •'  The  times  of  this  ignorance  God  winked  at :  but  now 
commandeth  all  men  every  where  to  repent ;  because  he  hath  ap- 
pointed a  day  in  which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteoue.ness.  God 
is  longsuffering  toward  us,  not  willing  that  any  should  perish,  but 
that  all  should  come  to  repentance,"  2  Petej*  iii.  9.  Yea,  "  he  is  ex- 
alted by  the  right  hand  of  God,  to  be  a  Piince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give 
repentance  to  Israel,  and  forgiventss  of  sins,"  Acts  v.  31.  Seek 
him  then. 

But  ye,  whom  he  hath  subjected  to  himself,  that  he  may  render 
you  partakers  of  his  heavenly  graces,  aid  may  cause  you  to  dwell 
with  him,  and  who  are  of  the  willing  people,  show  now  that  he  is 
your  King  and  Judge  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  by  a  frequent  con- 
templation of  him  in  his  glory,  by  exalting  him,  submitting  to  him, 
being  ready  to  serve  him.  delivering  all  your  enemies  into  his  hands, 
betrusting  all  things  to  him,  praising  him,  and  rejoicing  in  him  : 
but  we  have  spoken  of  all  these  things  on  the  thirteenth  Lord's 
day.     We  must  say  something  different  to  you  at  present : 

1  Seek  of  him  the  advantages  of  his  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of 
God,  not  only  to  be  preserved  and  defended  by  hira  against  your  ene- 
mies ;  for  ye  may  find  this  also  in  the  thirteenth  Lord's  day  ;  but 
also  particularly  that  he  would  pour  out  his  heaven' y  graces  upon 
you  by  his  Spirit.  He  hath  obtained  of  the  Father  by  his  exaltation, 
the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  shed  him  forth,  as  Peter  teacheth 
us.  Acts  ii.  33.  Do  ye  therefore  need  light,  life,  wisdom,  hohness, 
joy  and  comfort,  look  unto  him,  apply  to  him,  plead  with  him,  as 
sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  that  he  would  show  you  his  glory, 
since  "  he  is  your  head,  and  ye  are  his  body,  and  the  fulness  of  him 
that  filleth  all  in  all,"  Eph.  i.  22,  23.  Ye  should  then  •*  receive  of 
his  fulness  and  grace  for  grace,'*  John  i.  1 6. 

2.  Dispose  and  prepare  yourselves  for  his  coming  again  to  judg- 
ment: **  Let  your  loins  be  girded  about,  and  your  lights  burning  ; 
and  be  ye  hke  men  who  wait  for  their  lord,  when  he  will  return 
from  the  wedding  ;  that  v;hen  he  cometh  and  knocketh,  they  may 
open  to  him  immediately,"  Luke  xii.  34,  36.  And  for  this  end,  en- 
deavour to  make  your  state  cf  grace  sure  to  yourselves,  with  Paul, 
2  Tim.  i.  12,  "1  know  in  whom  I  have  believed,  and  I  am  persua- 
ded that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him 


3§8  CHRIST  A  KING  AND  JUDGE. 

against  that  day."  Be  also  watchful  over  yourselves,  your  conver- 
sation and  future  expectation  at  his  cominf^,  that  ye  may  not  be  sur- 
prised unawares.  It  hii<hly  misbecomes  the  wise  virgins  to  slum- 
ber and  sleep,  like  the  foolish  :  "  watch  therefore,  for  ye  know  nei- 
ther the  day  nor  the  hour,  wherein  the  Son  of  man  cometh,"  Matt. 
XXV.  5,  13.  Be  moderate  in  eating,  drinking,  clothing,  worldly 
cares  and  diversions,  that  ye  may  not  unfit  yourselves  for  waiting  for 
his  coming.  Thib  is  so  strictly  enjoined  on  you  by  the  Judge,  Luke 
xxi.  34..  "  Take  heei  to  yourselves,  that  your  hearts  be  not  over- 
charged with  surfeiting  and  drunkenness,  and  cares  of  this  life,  and 
so  that  day  come  upon  you  unawares  "  Yea,  do  now  what  ye  would 
wish  ye  had  done,  when  that  day  cometh.  Is  there  any  sin  to  be 
mortified,  is  this  or  that  person  to  be  convinced,  exhorted  and  com- 
forted, make  speed  to  do  it,  that,  having  done  your  work,  ye  may 
be  ready  to  meet  him.  So  your  Head  himself  conducted,  John 
xvii.  4,  5,  as  also  Paul,  who  could  say,  2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8,  *'  I  have 
fought  the  good  fight,  I  ha\^e  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the- 
faith  :  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness, 
which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge  will  give  me  in  that  day.'* 

o.  Have  and  miintain  a  holy  concern  and  solicitude  to  please  the 
Judge  in  all  that  ye  do.  Do  nothing  now,  which  ye  wish  should  not 
be  made  known  on  that  day,  but  conduct  yourselves  as  ye  wish  that 
Christ  should  find  you  at  his  comincr :  *'  We  labour,"  saith  the 
apostle,  2  Cor.  v.  9,  10,  "  that  whether  present  or  absent,  we  may 
be  accepted  of  him  :  for  we  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment 
seat  of  Christ  ;  that  every  one  may  receive  the  things  done  in  the 
body,  according  to  what  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad.'* 
Emphatical  is  the  admonition  of  Peter  to  this  purpose,  2  Peter  iii. 
11,  14.  «  Seeing  then  that  all  these  things  shall  be  dissolved,  what 
inc">nner  of  persons  oug')t  ye  to  be  in  all  holy  conversation  and  god- 
liness ?  Wherefore,  beloved,  seeing  that  ye  look  for  these  things,  be 
diligent  that  ye  may  be  found  of  him  in  peace,  without  spot  and 
blameless." 

4.  Long  for  his  coming.  He  will  not  come  to  terrify,  but  to  com- 
fji't  you,  and  to  glorify  himself  in  your  glory,  as  your  Bridegroom, 
Husband,  Head,  Surety  and  Redeemer;  for  "  he  will  come  to  be 
gloritied  in  his  saints,  and  to  be  admired  in  all  them  that  believe." 
2  Tliess.  i.  10.  Ye  do  surely  love  his  appearing,  as  Paul  saith,  of 
cvejy  believer,  2  Tim.  iv.  8.  Therefore  long  for  it  ;  "the  Spirit 
and  the  brifle  siy  come.  And  let  him  that  hearcth  say  come,"  Rev. 
xxii.  17.     Ye  ought  also  to  "  groan  in  this  tabernacle,  desiring  to 


XIX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  50—52.  399 

be  clothed  upon  with  your  house  which  is  from  heaven/'  as  Paul 
and  the  Corinthians  did,  2  Cor,  v.  2. 

5.  Be  now  also  patient  and  courageous  in  your  adversities,  sorrows 
and  persecutions,  which  befall  you  from  without,  or  from  within : 
*'  Be  patient ;  stabhsh  your  hearts ;  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord 
drawelh  nigh,"  saith  James,  chap.  v.  1.  It  doth  not  become  you  to 
be  so  impatient,  and  to  hurry  so  to  be  healed,  and  delivered  from  all 
your  pains  here,  as  soon  as  they  attack  you.  It  is  not  seemly  in 
Christians  neither,  to  let  their  heads  hang  as  a  bulrush,  on  account 
of  troubles  :  let  those  act  so,  who  have  no  hope  in  the  coming  of 
Christ :  but  as  for  you,  believers,  look,  with  ■  plifted  heads,  for  the 
blessed  hope  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God,  and  of 
our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  who  hath  given  himself  for  you,  that  he 
might  redeem  you.  Do  your  enemies,  either  your  spiritual  or  tem- 
poral enemies  harrass  you  exceedingly,  do  they  render  your  condi- 
tion exceedingly  grievous  to  you  ;  well,  they  are  also  the  enemies  of 
your  Surety,  your  Redeemer  and  Judge,  and  be  will  cast  them  into 
everlasting  condemnation.  For  he  will  bring  the  blessing  of  Abra- 
ham upon  you,  according  to  Gen.  xii.  3,  and  "  curse  them  who  curse 
you."  Think  not  that,  when  he  will  take  all  the  elect  up  to  himself, 
into  heavenly  joys  and  glory,  he  will  forget  the  meanest  among  you ; 
he  will  know  you  perfectly  well,  that  ye  are  they,  for  whom  he  offer- 
ed himself  to  the  tribunal  of  God,  and  from  whom  he  hath  removed 
all  the  curse.  He  will  say  then  to  his  Father,  as  he  said  formerly, 
*'  Those  whom  thou  gavest  me  I  have  kept,  and  none  of  them  is 
lost,"  John  xvii.  12.  All  your  crosses  will  then  be  taken  away,  and 
all  your  tears  wiped  from  your  eyes  ;  and  ye  will  be  taken  up  before 
the  throne  of  God,  and  "  be  for  ever  with  the  Lord.  Therefore  com- 
fort one  another  with  these  words,"  as  ye  are  commanded,  1  Thess. 
iv.  17.  I  conclude  with  the  blessing  and  doxology  of  Peter,  1  Peter 
V.  10,  1  !•  "  The  God  of  all  grace,  who  hath  called  us  unto  his  eter- 
nal glory  by  Christ  Jesus,  after  that  v/e  have  suffered  a  while,  make 
you  perfect,  stablish,  strengthen,  settle  you.  To  him  be  glory  and 
dominion  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen«" 


(  400  ) 


FAITH  IN  fcOD 


THE 


HOLY  GHOST. 


XX.  LORD'S  DAY. 


John  xiv.  16,  17.  And  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  he  shall  give  you 
another  Comforter,  that  he  unay  abide  with  you  for  ever  ;  even 
the  Spirit  of  truth,  whom  the  world  cannot  receive,  because  it 
seeth  him  not,  neither  knoweth  him  :  but  ye  know  him  ;  for  he 
dwelieth  with  you,  and  shall  be  in  you. 

Q,  53.    What  dost  thou  believe  concerning  the  Holy  Ghost  ? 

A.  First,  that  he  is  true  and  co-essential  God  with  the  Father  and 
the  Son :  secondly,  that  he  is  also  given  me,  to  make  me  by  a  true 
faith,  partaker  of  Christ,  and  all  his  benefits,  that  he  may  comfort 
me,  and  abide  with  me  for  ever. 


S  the  Father  is  not  known,  except  by  the  Son,  so  also  the  Son 
is  not  known  except  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  That  the  Father  is  not 
known  except  by  the  Son,  the  Son  himself  teacheth  us,  when  he 
saith,  John  i.  18.  <*  No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time;  the  only 
begotten  Son,  which  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  declared 
him."  But  the  Son  himself  is  not  known,  and  so  neither  the  Father, 
b'lt  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  for  "  no  man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord, 
but  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;"  thus  speaks  the  apostle,  1  Cor.  xii.  3. 
And  no  wonder  ;  for  how  can  we  know  the  love  of  the  Father,  by 


XX.  LORD'S  bAt.  Q.  53.  401 

■which  he  prevents  his  people  with  his  everlasting  kindness,  unless 
we  know  the  grace  of  the  Son,  by  which  he  purchaseu  all  happiness 
for  them  of  the  Father?  But  how  shaJl  we  know  the  Son  t  salva- 
tion, unless  we  obtain  by  the  Holy  Ghost  communion  in  the  love  of 
the  Father,  and  in  the  grace  of  the  Son  ?  therefore  not  only  '■'■  the 
love  of  God"  the  Father,  "  and  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  " 
is  supplicated  for  believers,  but  also  "the  communion  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  2  Cor.  xiii.  13.  For  it  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  conveys  the 
lovG  of  the  Father,  and  the  grace  of  the  Son  to  the  elect,  as  the  Son 
promiseth  the  apostles,  John  xvi.  13,  14,  15.  '«  When  he  the  Spirit 
of  truth  is  come,  he  will  guide  you  into  all  (ruth  :  for  he  shall  not 
speak  of  himself ;  but  wliatsoever  he  shall  hear,  that  shall  he  speak  : 
and  he  will  show  you  things  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me  ;  for  he 
shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you.  All  things  that 
the  Father  hath  are  mine  :  therefore  said  I,  that  he  shall  take  of 
mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you."  As  it  is  therefore  necessary, 
that  we  should  know  the  Father  and  the  Son,  so  it  is  not  less  neces- 
sary,  that  we  should  know  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  which  reason  the 
instructor  having  divided  the  Christian  creed  into  three  parts,  the 
first  relating  to  God  the  Father  and  our  creation,  the  second  to  God 
the  Son  and  our  redemption,  and  the  third  to  God  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  our  sanctificaiion  ;  and  having  explained  the  doctrine  of  God  the 
Father  and  of  God  the  Son,  he  proceeds  in  this  Lord's  day  to  the 
mystery  of  the  doctrine  concerning  God  the  Holy  Ghost. 

There  are  three  particulars  here,  which  require  our  consideration  ; 
I.  What  the  Holy  Ghost  is, 
H.  How  he  is  given,  and 
HI.  How  we  beheve  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 
I.  In  order  to  know  what  the  Holy  Ghost  is,  we  must  consider^ 
i,  the  meaning  of  the  words.  Holy  Ghost,  2,  that  he  is  a  person,  3, 
that  he  is,  together  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  true  and  eternal 
God,  and  4,  that  he  is  a   person  distinct  from  the  Father  and  the 
Son. 

I .  In  order  to  understand  the  meaning  of  the  words,  Holy  Ghost, 
we  must  know  that  the  word  Ghost,  (or  Spirit)  in  Hebrew  ruach,  in 
Greek  fineuma,  and  in  Latin  sfiiritus^  denotes  primarily  a  wind,  or 
any  blast,  and  thus  something  that  is  bodily  ;  but  it  is  also  used  to 
denote  immaterial  beings,  which  act  by  a  natural  ability,  and  from 
themselves  with  understanding  and  vv^ill.  And  in  this  sense  angels 
and  souls  are  ghosts,  (or  spirits) ;  but  this  word  is  used  particularly 
of  God,  and  especially  witli  respect  to  the  essence  of  God  ;  thus  our 
Saviour  speaks,  Jolai  iv.  24,  "  God  is  a  spirit."     And  with  respect 

3  G 


402  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

to  one  of  the  divine   Persons  ;  thus  the  Son  is  called,  according  t^ 
his  divine   nature,  a  spirit ;  "  He  was   justified  in  the  Spu'it,"  saith 
Paul,    I  Tim.  iii.  16.     But  this  name  is   given   chiefly  to  the  third 
Person  in  the  divine   essence  :  and  of  this  Person  our  text  speaks, 
and  aso  the  mstructor  in  this  Lord's  day»     The  third  Person  in  the 
divine  essence  is  called   emphatically  the   Spirit,  not  because   he  is 
more  spiritual  in  his  essence  tlian  the  Father  and  the  Son,  for  he  is 
co-esseniial  with  the  Father  and  the   Son,    and  of  the  sarwe   simple 
and  spiritual  essence  ;  neither   is  this  third  Person  called  Spirit,  on 
account  of  his  spirit\ial  osconomy,  and  work  of  grace  ;  for  he  is  call- 
ed the  "  Holy  "  Spirit,  on  accj3unt  of  his  oeconomical  work  of  grace, 
as  will  appear  more  particularly  hereafter  ;  but  he  is  called  Spirit  on 
account  of  his  personal  and  spiritual  proceeding  from   the   Father 
through   the  Son  :  for  as  the  first  Person   is    called  Father,  and  the 
second  Son,  on  account  of  the  eternal  generation  of  the  Son  by  the 
Father  ;  so  the  toird  i^erson   is  called  Spirit  on  account  of  his  per- 
sonal and  spiritual  proceeding  from   the  Father  through  the  Son 
from  eternity.     As  the  Father  and  the  Son  are  denominated  from 
their  ])ersonal    property,  to  wit,  the  eternal  generation,  so  also  the 
third  Person  is  denominated  from  his  personal  property,   to  vit,  his 
eternal  proceeding.     It  is  the  ancient   and  v/ell  established  doctrine 
of  the  clmrch,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  proceedeth  from  the  Father ;  and 
therefore  it  is   detestable,    not  only  in  the  Socinians,  but   also  in  a 
certain  person,  *  who  desires  to  be  esteemed  orthodox  in  our  church, 
to  d'jny  this  proceeding  of  the  Holy  Ghost.     Suffering  himself  to  be 
misled  and  spoiled  by  philosophy,   he  did  not  find  any  innate  idea  of 
an  eternal  generation  of  the  Son  by  the   Father,   therefore  he  would 
deny  it,   alihoun^h  the  word  of  God  asserted  it  ever  so  plainly.     No 
marvel  then  that   he  subverted  tiie  faith  of  the  church  with  respect 
lo  the  proceeding  of  the  Holy  Ghost :  but  we  reverence  the  word  of 
God  too  much  to  deny,  or  doubt  of  this  truth  ;  for  the  word  of  God 
teacheth  us  tl-.at  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeds  from  the  Father.     Of  this 
the  Son  of  God  speaks,  John  xv.  26.    "  When  the  Comforter  shall 
come,  wiiom  I  will  send  unto  you  from  the  F'ather,  even  the  Spirit 
of  truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  he  shall  testify  of  me.'* 
It  is  said  here,  that  the  Spirit  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  and  this 
is  distinguished  from  the  sending  o;  the  Holy  Spirit  by  the  Son  from 
the  Father.     On  account  of  this  proceeding,  the  Holy  Spirit  is  also 
called** the  Spirit  of  God,"  1  Cor.  ii.  11.  *♦  The  Spirit  which  is  of 

*  Bj  this  person  our  author  means  Professor  Reel  , 


XX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  53.  403 

God,*'  !  Cor.  ii.  12.  "The  Spirit  of  God's  moiUh,"   Psalm   xxxiii. 
6.     *'  The  breath  oCthe  Almighty,"  Job  xxxiii.  4. 

But  wl>en  we  say  that  the  Holy  Ghost  proceedeth  from  the 
Father,  we  add  that  he  proceedeth  from  the  Son  also.  This  occa- 
sioned severe  disputes  in  the  seventeenth  and  following  centuries  be- 
tween the  Greek,  or  eastern,  and  the  Latin  or  Mestern  churches  ; 
for  when  the  Catholic  creed  of  Constantinople  confessed  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  proceeded  *'  from  the  Father,  the  Latins  added,  "  and 
from  the  Son."  The  Greek  church  took  this  exceedingly  ill,  con- 
sidering it  as  a  falsifying  of  that  creed  :  but  if  we  consult  the  word 
of  God,  we  shall  see  that  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeds  from  the  Son 
also  ;  for  he  is  called  "the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  of  the  Son."  Rom. 
viii.  9.  Gal.  ivi  6.  The  Son  "  sends  the  Spirit  from  the  Father," 
John  xy.  26.  And  the  Spirit  receives  all  things  from  the  Son,  who 
hath  what  he  hath  from  the  Father,  John  xvi.  13,  14,  15.  Since 
now  the  order  of  working  among  the  divine  Persons  follows  the  or- 
der of  their  subsistence,  it  is  evident,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  doth  pro- 
ceed not  only  from  the  Father,  but  also  from  the  Son.  It  was  not 
therefore  commendable  in  the  Greek  church  to  oppose  so  vehe- 
mently the  proceeding  of  the  Holy  Ghost  from  tie  Son:  neither 
can  we  approve  of  the  conduct  of  the  Latins  in  altering  the  creed 
by  iheir  own  authority,  and  insisting  upon  the  words,  "  from  the 
Son,"  and  not  rather  saying  "  through  the  Son,"  which  the  Greeks 
"were  willing  to  allow,  and  which  would  perhaps  have  been  altogether 
as  proper,  because  the  Father  works  through  the  v^on,  and  thus  also 
ca\iseth  the  Floly  Ghost  to  proceed  through  the  Son. 

The  third  Person  is  called  not  only  the  Spirit,  but  also  the  '*  Holy  " 
Spirit,  not  because  he  is  more  holy  than  the  Father  and  the  :ron  : 
for  the  hymn  Holy,  holy,  holy,  is  addressed  to  each  Person,  and  not 
unto  one  only,  Isaiah  vi.  3.  But  the  third  Person  is  called  holy, 
because  the  making  of  the  Church  holy,  is  particularly  attributed  to 
him  ;  for  as  creation  is  attributed  to  the  Feather,  and  redemption  to 
the  Son,  so  sanctification  (or  making  holy)  is  attributed  to  the  Holy 
Ghost,  as  his  peculiar  ceconomy  and  dispensation  of  grace  ;  there- 
fore Paul  saith,  2  Thess,  ii.  13,  thut  "God  hath  chosen  believers  to 
salvation,  through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit,"  And  thus  the  whole 
(Economy,  the  dispensation  of  grace  by  the  Spirit,  or  the  applica- 
tion of  the  foreordained  and  pu'chased  grace  of  the  Father  and  Son 
is  intimated  by  the  additional  word  "  holy,"  as  the  word  sanctifica- 
tion denotes  also  the  whole  work  of  grace,  which  belongs  to  the 
Spirit.  Peter  teacheth  us  this,  when  he  saith,  1  Peter,  i.  2  "  Elect 
according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God  the  Father,   through  sancti- 


404  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

fication  of  the  Spirit  and  obedience,  and  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of 
Jesus  Chrisi."  Since  now  the  Holy  Spirit  effects  ihe  work  of  sane- 
tification  spiritually,  that  is,  rationally  and  internally  in  the  spirit,  or 
soul  of  man,  by  the  insirumcntality  of  the  gospel,  theiefore  the  gifts 
of  grace  are  sometimes  called  the  Spirit.  60  we  read,  John  Yi,  39, 
"  This  he  spake  of  the  ^pirit,  which  they  that  believe  on  him  should 
receive  ;  for  the  Holy  Gliost  was  not  yet  given,  because  that  Jesus 
was  not  yet  glorified."  So  the  gospel  is  also  called  the  Spirit,  be- 
cause it  is  the  minisir<\tion  of  the  Spirit :  this  we  may  see  2  Cor« 
iii.  6.  8. 

2.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  a  Person,  that  is,  an  intelligent  substance, 
by  which  he  is  in  the  divine  essence  individually  what  he  is,  being 
neither  a  part,  accident  nor  quality  of  either  of  the  other  Persons,  or 
aught  else.  The  Arians,  Servetians  and  Socinians,  who  deny  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  a  Person,  are  so  perplexed  here,  that  they  knov/ 
not  what  to  make  of  him.  Some  will  have  that  he  is  an  inbreathed 
affection  of  God  ;  others  that  he  is  the  power  of  God  ;  a  third  thinks 
that  he  is  neither  God,  nor  a  creature,  but  something  wholly  different 
from  either  ;  a  fourth  that  he  is  like  one  of  the  attributes  of  God  ;  a 
fifth  saith  that  he  is  a  gift  of  God ;  a  sixth  makes  him  to  be  an  excellent 
angel,  or  a  certain  order  of  angels  ;  but  those  among  them  who  wish 
to  speak  accurately,  distinguish  between  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  t!ie 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  By  the  Holy  Ghost  they  understand  the 
power  of  God  the  Father,  which  is  naturally  in  him  ;  by  the 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  are  also  called  the  Holy  Ghost,  they 
will  have  that  the  gospel  is  signified,  and  certain  gifts  granted  to 
particular  persons. 

The  church  teaches  in  opposition  to  this,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
a  person  ;  and  not  without  reason  ;  for  (a)  the  Holy  Ghost  hath 
the  personal  properties  of  understanding  :  "  For  the  Spirit  searcheth 
all  things,  yea,  the  deep  things  of  God,"  1  Cor.  ii.  10,  11  ;  and  also 
of  will:  "  For  all  these  worketh  that  one  and  the  self-same  Spirit, 
dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  he  will,"  1  Cor.  xii.  11.  (b)  The 
Spirit  hath  appeared  in  divers  forms,  as  in  that  of  a  dove,  and  of 
fiery  tongues,  in  order  to  represent  his  gifts  of  Grace,  Malt.  iii.  16. 
Acts  ii.  3,  4.  Now  persons  only  do  such  things,  (c)  The  Holy- 
Ghost  hath  his  personal  works ;  for  he  sends  the  preachers.  Acts 
viii.  29,  30.  xiii.  2,  He  leads,  comforts,  assures  and  intercedes, 
Rom.  viii.  14 — 27,  therefore  the  Holy  Ghost  is  also  a  person.  By  a 
personification,  personal  works  are  indeed  ascribed  to  charity,  1  Cor. 
xiii.  4 — 7,  but  this  supposeth  a  charitable  person.  We  cannot  cer- 
tainly think  that  the  personal  v/orks  of  the  Holy  Ghqst  are  personi- 


XX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  53.  4(jw 

fied,  since  the  Holy  Ghost  is  distinguished  as  a  person  from  his 
works  Thus  Paul  teacheth  us  :  '^  For  to  one  is  given  by  the  Spirit 
the  word  of  wisdom  ;  to  another  the  word  of  knowledge  by  the  same 
Spirit,"  1  Cor.  xii.  8.  See  also  vrs.  9,  10,  11.  (d)  The  Holy  Ghost 
is  also  distinguished  from  the  other  divine  Persons,  not  only  as  a  dis- 
tinct thing,  but  as  a  distinct  Person.  See  John  xiv.  15.  xvi.  13 
14,  15.     We  have  exhibited  these  passages  at  large  before. 

The  objections  which  the  adversaries  of  the  Spirit  offer  ap-ainst 
this  doctrine  are  insignificant :  they  say  that  we  are  baptised  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  according  to  Matt.  iii.  U,  Acts  i.  5.  1  (Jor.  xii. 
13,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  power  and  gift  of  God,  Luke  i.  35, 
xxiv.  49.  Acts  x»  38,  45,  We  freely  allow  that  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
we  nnust  sometimes  understand  his  gifts,  Avith  which  we  are  bapti- 
zed and  influenced  ;  but  it  follows  not  from  this,  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  not  a  person  :  for  the  Holy  Ghost  is   distinguished  as    a  person 

from  his  gifts,  as  hath  been  shown  from  1  Cor.  xii.  8 1 1.     Is  the 

Holy  Ghost  called  the  power  and  gift  of  God,  it  doth  not  denote  that 
he  is  not  a  person  ;  for  then  Christ  would  not  be  a  person  neither 
since  he  also  is  called  the  power  and  (he  gift  of  God,  1  Cor.  i.  24 
John  iv.  10. 

3.  We  profess  furthermore  concerning  tlie  Holy  Ghost,  « that 
he  is  true  and  coeternal  God  vv'ith  the  Father  and  the  Son."  The 
above-named  adversaries  of  the  Spirit  deny  this  also  ;  but  we  hold 
it  to  be  a  most  certain  truth  ;  because  the  names,  attributes,  works 
and  honour  of  God  arc  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  For, 

1,  The  Holy  Ghost  is  called  God  ;  for  Peter  said.  Acts  v.  3  4 
«  Why  hath  Satan  filled  thine  heart  to  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  thou 
hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God"  By  lying  to  the  Holy  Ghost 
they  liad  lied  to  God  ;  how  is  this  to  be  understood,  if  the  Holy 
Giiost  be  not  God.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  a'so  called  Jehovah  :  "  Israel 
tempted  the  Lord,"  Exod.  xvii.  7.  Num.  xx.  3 — 13,  Deut,  vi. 
16.     PsLilm  xcv.  6 — 9  ;  but  the  Lord  was  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  Paul 

showeth,  Heb.  iii    7,    8,    9.     Compare   ai^o  Isaiah  vi.   6 10,    with 

Acts  xxviii.  25,  26,  27.  Now  this  name  is  proper  to  God  only,  and 
expresseth  his  essence  as  we  have  proved  on  the  eighth  Lord's  day. 
Whence  it  therefore  follows  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  true  and  eternal 
God  with  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

2.  Divine  attributes  are  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost ;  for  he  is 
"the  eternal  Spirit,"  Heb.  ix.  14.  He  is  also  omnipresent,  Psalm 
cxxxix.  7.  He  is  all-knowing,  so  that  "he  searcheth  not  only  the 
hearts  and  reins,"  as  it  is  said  of  God,  Jer.  xvii.  10,  but  what  is  more, 
''  he  searcheth  all  things,  ye^,  the  deep  things  of  God,  and  he  know- 


406  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

cth  them,"  1  Cor.  ii.  10.  11.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  likewise  almighty, 
yea,  he  hath  a  sovereign  might  :  ''  For  all  these  things  worketh  that 
one  and  the  selfsame  Spirit,  dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  he 
%vill."  It  is  now  surely  evident  that  he  is  the  true  God  ;  for  he  who 
is  not  God  cannot  be  eternal,  omnipresent,  all-knowing,  almighty, 
and  sovereignly  mighty. 

3.  We  find  also  that  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  performed  divine  works. 
He  created  the  world  ;  for  "  the  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the 
waters,"  Gen.  i.  5.  See  Job  xxxiii.  Psalm  xxxiii.  6.  He  also 
iipholdeth  all  things  by  a  second  creation  :  "  Thou  sendest  forth  thy 
Spirit,  they  are  created,"  saith  David,  Psalm  civ.  -30.  This  is  the 
v/ork  of  God  only,  as  he  himself  declares,  Isaiah  xliv.  24.  The 
work  of  regeneration  and  of  sanctification  fs  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  as  we  may  see,  John  iii.  5.  Titus  iii.  5  ;  and  he  manifests 
thus  that  '*  he  is  the  Lord  who  sanctifieth  Israel,"  Isaiah  xxxviii.  28. 
"  The  Holy  Spirit  will  quicken  our  mortal  bodies,"  Rom.  viii.  11. 
Now  the  Lord  Qnly  quickens,  (or  makes  alive)  as  he  also  kills,  1. 
Sam.  ii.  6.  Deut  xxxii.  39.  "  Jesus  cast  out  devils  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,"  Matt.  xii.  28.  Now  "  the  God  of  Israel  alone  doth  won» 
derful  works,"  Psalm  Ixxii.  18.  cxxxvi.  4.  Therefore  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  also  true  God. 

4.  We  must  also  give  divine  honour  and  woiship  to  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  for  we  are  sanctified  to  be  his  temples,  "  in  which  he  dwells," 
1  Cor,  iii.  16,  17.  vi.  19.  He  is  therefore  God,  for  the  temple  of 
Solomon  was  builded  for  the  service  of  God  only,  1  Kings  v.  5  ;  and 
it  is  idolatry  to  build  temples  for  the  service  of  him  who  is  not 
God,  Hosea  viii  14.  We  must  also  obey  God,  and  therefore  the 
Holy  Ghost,  Heb.  iii  7,  8,  9,  and  therefore  we  can  "vex  him," 
Isaiah  Ixiii.  10 — "  grieve  him,"  Eph.  iv.  30 — "commit  an  unpardon-. 
.able  sin  against  him,"  Malt.  xii.  31.     How  can    all   this  be,   if  the 

Holy  Ghost  be  not  the  true  God  ?  we  must  be  baptized  in  the 
name  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  Matt,  xxviii.  19.  This  is  a  divine  honours 
which  belongeth  to  none  but  God,  as  Paul  shows,  1  Cor.  i.  13,  14, 
15.  We  must  also  worship  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  source  of  all 
blessings,  2  Cor.  xii i.  13.  Now,  "tlie  Lord  God  only  must  we 
worship,"  Matt.  iv.  10.  We  must  show  that  we  are  commanded  to 
worship  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  we  may  silence  the  Arminians,  who 
allow  indeed  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  God,  but  nevertheless  say,  in 
order  to  flatter  their  brethren,  the  Socinians,  that  we  have  neither  a 
command  nor  example  permitting  or  obliging  us  to  worship  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  Saviour  enjoins,  Matt.  ix.  38,  "  Pray  ye  tht^ 
Lord  of  the  harvest,  to  send  forth  labourers  into  his  harvest."     The 


XX.  LORD^S  DAY.  Q.  53/  407 

Lord  of  the  harvest,  who  sends  forth  the  preachers,  is  the  Koly 
Ghost,  as  we  see,  Acts  xiii.  1,2;  and  therefore  we  are  commanded 
to  worship  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  have  also  an  example,  showing 
that  the  Holy  Glost,  the  God  who  spake  by  the  mouth  of  David, 
was  worshipped,  Acts  iv.  24,  25.  Now  "the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
spake  by  David,"  as  he  himself  saith,  2  Sam.  xxiii.  2.  When  all 
this  is  considered-  we  may  with  certainty  conclude  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  the  true  God. 

Although  it  is  evident  now,  that  he  is  the  same  God  with  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  we  may  nevertheless  not  think  with  the  Sabel- 
lians,  that  he  is  the  same  Person  with  the  Father  and  the  Son  ;  for 
there  are  three  Persons  in  the  divine  essence,  the  Father,  the  Son 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  we  are  taug;ht.  Matt,  xxviii.  19.  2  Cor. 
xiii.  13.  I  John  v.  7  ;  and  which  we  have  explained  upon  the  eighth 
Lord's  day.  Whence  it  therefore  evidently  follows,  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  not  the  same  Person  with  the  Father  and  the  Son.  (b)  The 
Saviour  si-ith  in  the  text,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  another  Comforter, 
or  one  distinct  from  himself,  (c)  This  matter  may  be  further  illus- 
trated by  observing  that  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  a  distinct  personal 
property  and  work  from  the  Father  and  the  Son  ;  for  the  Father  is 
the  first  Person,  and  the  Son  is  the  second  in.the  order  of  subsistence 
and  working ;  but  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  third,  the  Father  hath  be- 
gotten the  Son,  the  Son  is  begotten  by  the  Father ;  but  the  Holy 
Ghost  hath  neither  begotlen  the  Son,  nor  is  he  begotten  by  the  Fa- 
ther ;  but  he  proceedeth  from  the  Father  through  the  Son.  The 
Father  works  from  himself  through  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost  ; 
the  Son  works  from  the  Father  through  the  Holy  Ghost;  but  the 
Holy  Ghost  works  from  the  Father  and  from  the  Son.  This  is  clear 
from  John  xvi.  13,  14,  15. 

IL  We  come  now  to  our  second  general  head,  which  teacheth  us 
how  the  Holy  Ghost  is  given  in  his  sundry  workings.  Thus  the 
instructor  saith,  »*  that  he  is  given  to  me,  that  he  may  make  me  by 
a  true  faith,"  Sec.  By  which  the  Holy  Ghost  actually  and  effectu- 
ally applies  to  believers  all  that  grace,  which  was  pre-appointed  for 
them  by  the  Father,  and  purchased  by  the  ^on.  This  we  learn, 
1  Peter  i.  2.  Therefore  he  is  called  "  Spirit  of  the  Father,"  Matt. 
X.  20,  and  so  also  "  of  the  Son,"  Gal.  iv.  6,  because  he  is  given 
by  the  Father  to  the  Son,  and  hath  qualified  and  anointed  him 
for  the  work  of  Mediator,  as  the  Son  himself  testifieth,  Isaiah  Ixi.  I, 
2,  3.  And  thus  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  his  special  work  also  with 
respect  to  the  church,  on  behalf  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son,  as 
Christ  teacheth,  John  xvi.    13,  14,  15.     And  therefore  believers  arc 


>103  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  HOLY  GHOST» 

also  called  "spiritual,"  i  Cor.  ii.  15.     In  order  to  explain  this  some** 
what  more  fully  we  shall  consider  the  manner  of  the  giving  of  the 
Spirit  to  the  cnurch  under  the  Old  and  under  the  New  Testament 
in  geiicral ;  and  then  how  he  is  given  under  the  New  Testament  in 
particular. 

The  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  under  the  Old  and  New  Testament 
arc  either  extraordinary,  or  ordinary  gifts. 

The  extraordinary,  or  superordinary  gifts  are,  (a)  gifts  of  skill  in 
arts,  whereby  some  were  qualified  to  do  this  or  that  work  of  art,  as 
^*  Bezalee!  was  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  God,"  that  he  might  make 
the  artificial  work  of  the  tabernacle,  Exod.  xxxi.  1—5.  (b)  Gifts  of 
heroism  and  valour,  by  which  the  ancient  heroes  were  urged  and 
enabled  to  perform  ^;reat  exploits  for  the  preservation  and  prosperity 
of  God's  people  :  thus  "  the  Spirit  of  God  came  mightily  upon  Sam- 
son at  certain  times,"  Judges  xiii.  23.  xiv.  6,  19.  xv.  14.  (c)  Gifts 
of  office,  as  an  ability  to  conduct  in  a  kingly  manner  in  ruling.  It 
was  "  the  Holy  Spirit  who  changed  the  heart  of  Saul,"  I  Sam.  x,  9. 
*' Tiie  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came  upon  David,"  1  Sam.  xvi.  13,  To 
tliS  gifts  of  office  belong  also  those  of  a  prophet,  to  reveal  secrets, 
either  such  as  are  past,  as  Daniel  revealed  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream^ 
which  he  had  forgotten,  Dan.  ii.  29,  50.  iv.  8,  Or  those  which  are  to 
come  ;  for  "  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  which  was  in  the  prophets,  signified 
and  testified  beforehand  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  and  the  glory  that 
should  follow,"  as  the  apostles  also  possessed  such  a  prophetical. 
Spirit,  particularly  John,  who  was  for  that  end  "  in  the  Spirit,"  Rev» 
i.  10.  iv.  2.  xxi.  10.  To  this  pertains  also,  that  the  prophets  and 
apostles  taught  the  people  of  God  infallibly  the  greatest  mysteries, 
by  word  and  writing.  We  see  this  John  xvi.  13,  14,  15.  2  Peter  i- 
19,  20,  21.  Hence  also  proceeded  the  gifis  of  all  kinds  of  languages 
and  miracles,  Acts  ii.  I — 4,  Rom.  xv.  18,  19,  as  they 3  were  also 
many  Christians  in  the  primitive  church,  who  were  endued  with 
superordinary  gifts.  Acts  x.  44,  45,  46.     See  particularly  1  Cor.  xii. 

The  ordinary  ^ifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  are  either  common  gifts  of 
great  light  and  joy  in  the  mysteries  of  God,  of  which  temporary  be- 
lievers do  also  p.trtake,  as  thos^  gifts  are  not  inseparably  connected 
with  salvation  ;  for  "  they  are  enlightened,  taste  the  lieavenly  gift, 
are  made  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  they  taste  the  good  word  of 
God,  and  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come  ;  and  notwithstanding  fall 
away,"  Heb.  vi.  4,  5,  6.  Or  the  ordinary  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
are  saving  gifts,  of  which  the  elect  only  partake.  These  gifts  are 
"  those  better  things,  which  accompany  salvation,"  Heb.  vi.  9.  And 
thus  the  Holy  Gbo::t  is  "  the  Spirit  of  grace,"  Zech.  xii.  10.  These 


XX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  53.  409 

^ifis  are  many,  and  wrought  in  divers  ways  through  the  instrument- 
ality of  the  word,  which  the  Holy  Ghost  conveys  to  the  elect,  with  a 
design  to  influence  them  thereby  to  salvation.  The  Spirit  forbade 
Paul  to  preach  the  word  in  Asia  and  Bithynia,  but  sent  him  into 
Macedonia  to  convert  many,  Acts  xvi.  6 — 9.  To  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  also  adds  the  sacraments  ;  for  ail  the  elect  "  are  by  one  Spirit 
baptized  into  one  body,  and  all  made  to  drink  into  one  Spirit,"  I  Coro 
xii.  13.  By  these  means  the  elect  receive  the  following  gracious 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

1.  Regeneration,  whereby  the  Holy  Ghost  renews  them  after  the 
image  of  God,  infuseth  a  principle  of  spiritual  life  into  them,  con- 
vinces them  of  their  sins  and  damnable  condition,  subdues  the  ruling 
power  of  sin,  and  effects  in  them  new  powers  to  do  that  which  is 
good.  And  so  "  they  are  saved  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and 
the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  Titus  iii.  5.  Ezek.  xxxvi.  26,  27. 
And  thus  he  is  a  Spirit  of  conviction,  John  xvi.  8,  9.  Zech.  xii.  10, 
and  "  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus,"  Rom.  viii.  2. 

2.  True  faith,  whereby  the  Holy  Spirit  "  makes  them  partakers 
of  Christ  and  all  his  benefits."  We  are  taught  in  the  seventh  Lord's 
day  that  "  we  receive  and  apply  Christ  with  all  his  benefits  to  our- 
selves by  faith."  This  faith  the  Spirit  works,  and  so  he  is  "  the 
Spirit  of  faith,"  2  Cor.  iv.  13.  For  he  ei^lightens  the  understanding 
with  rcispect  to  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  by  which  it  discovers  the 
acceptableness  of  Christ ;  for  "  he  is  given  by  God,  as  the  Spirit  of 
wisdom  and  revelation  in  the  knowledge  of  him,  enlightening  the 
eyes  of  the  understanding,"  Eph.  i.  17,  18,  and  thus  "  he  leads  into 
the  truth,"  John  xvi.  13,  "  teaches  all  things,  and  brings  to  remem- 
brance," John  xiv.  26,  and  "testifies  of  Christ,"  John  xv.  26.  The 
Spirit  of  faith  convinces  also  the  mind  of  the  divinity  and  truth  of  all 
the  mysteries  of  Christ,  and  of  his  invitation  to  come  unto  him  ;  for 
"  the  Spirit  beareth  witness  that  the  Spirit  is  the  truth,"  I  John  v. 
6.  Yea,  he  unites  the  soul  to  Christ,  causing  her  to  receive  him 
actually  and  operatively.   This  the  apostle  teacheth,  Eph.  iii.  16,  17. 

3.  Comfort.  He  is  given  to  me,  "•  that  he  may  comfoit  me,"  saith. 
the  catechism  :  therefore  the  Holy  Ghost  is  called  emphatically,  the 
Comforter,"  John  xiv.  16,  26.  xv.  26,  and  ''  he  multipHes  comfort," 
Acts  ix.  31.  Many  are  the  sorrows  of  believers,  one  while  because 
they  know  not  whether  their  state  be  good  or  not,  another  while  on 
account  of  the  power  of  corruption,  then  on  account  of  the  hiding  of 
God's  countenance,  yea,  also  on  account  of  many  bodily  afflictions, 
either  manifest  tribulations,  or  secret  vexations;  but  "  the  Holy  Ghos^ 
comforts  them,"  for  sometimes  he  assures  them  by  "his  witnessing- 

3  H 


410  FAITH  1>{  GOD  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

that  t'icy  are  the  children. of  God,  and  heirs  of  God  and  of  Christ,"".' 
Horn.  viii.  16,  17.  I  Coi.  11,  12.  At  other  times  he  favours  thera 
with  a  sense  of  the  love  of  God,  that  they  may  '*  glory  in  tribula- 
tionsi"  1-vom.  V.  3,  4,  5.  He  also  endues  ihem  sometimes  with 
coiiraije  in  their  calaniitits,  Psalm  xxiii.  4.  And  so  they  obtain  the 
benefits  of  Ciod's  kingd  )in,  righteousness,  peace  and  joy  through  the 
Holy  Ghost,"  Horn.  xiv.   17. 

4.  SiXi:cification  :  for  he  is  *<  the  Ipirit  of  sanctiilcation,"  2  Thess. 
ii.  I3«  "  He  washes"  believers  from  the  filthincss  of  sin,  1  Cor.  vi. 
1 1,  ''chanf^es  them  from  glory  to  glory  after  the  ima^e  of  the  Lord,'* 
2  Cor.  iiu  18,  directs  them  in  ail  thtir  ways  ;  for  "  he  leads  them," 
Rom  viii»  14.  Psalm  cxiiii.  10,  and  fills  them  with  all  his  holy  virtues 
of  *'  love,  joy,  peace,  long  suffering,  gentleness,  gc  odness,  faith, 
meekness,  temperance,"  Gal.  v.  22.  Yea,  he  is  especially  '^  a  Spirit 
of  prayer  to  them,"  Zech.  xii.  10,  for  he  enablelh  them  to  draw  near 
the  throne  bol.ily,  Eph.  ii.  18,  "to  cry"  as  it  were  "with  the  Spirit 
of  adoption,  Abba  Father,"  Rom.  viii.  15.  Gal.  iv.  6.  He  dictates 
their  prayers  to  them,  enables  them  to  pray  heartily,  renders  their 
prayers  acceptable,  and  procures  a  hearing  for  them,  Rom.  viii. 
26,  27. 

5.  Preservation  ;  for  **  they  are  kept  by  the  power  of  God,"  and 
thus  by  the  Holy  bpirit,  "unto  salvation,"  1  Peter  i.  5.  Since  "he 
Lbides  with  tliera  for  ever,"  as  the  instructor  speaks  agreeably  to 
o  li'  text ;  therefore  he  is  said  to  "  dwell  in  them,  as  his  temple," 
i  Cor  iiii.  15.  He  is'  "an  earnest  to  them*  seals  and  establishes 
them,"  2  Cor.  i.  20,  31,  22-  He  strengthens  and  increases  the 
spiritual  life  of  the  inner  man  in  them,  Eph.  iii.  16,  causes  them  t» 
"  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,"  to  wit,  sins,  Rom.  viii.  13.  Are 
they  at  any  time  seized  with  a  languor,  so  that  they  faint  and  are 
weak,  he  raiseih  them  up  again,  and  "  creates  in  them  a  clean  heart, 
and  renews  a  right  spirit  v/ithin  them,  he  doth  not  depart  from  them, 
but  restores  unto  them  the  joy  of  his  salvation,  and  the  free  Spirit 
upholds  them,"  Psalm  Ii.  10,  11,  12.  When  they  die,  the  Spirit 
pronounces  them  blessed,  Rev.  xiv.  13,  and  "he  will  quicken  their 
mortal  bodies,"  Rom.  viii.  1 1. 

But  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Gijost  are  given  especially  under  the 
New  Testament.  We  conclude  from  what  we  have  just  now  said 
from  mary  passages  of  the  Old  Teslameiit,  that  the  Spirit  was 
given  to  bLlievcrs  under  the  Old  Testament  :  but  he  is  given  under 
the  New  Testament  in  a  greater  measure,  and  to  a  greater  number  of 
persons.  The  church  of  the  Old  Testament  hoped  for  "the  out- 
pouring o:  the  Spirit  from  on  high,  when  the  wilderness  should  be- 


XX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  53.  41  i 

come  a  fruitful  field,  and. the  fruitful  field  be  counted  a  forest,'*  Isaiah 
xxxii.  15,  for  the  Lord  God  promised  such  'i  an  outpouring- of  his 
Spirit,"  Isaiah  xliv.  3.  4.  Yea,  on  account  of  the  increase  of  the 
gifts  of  t!ie  S[/inr  in  the  days  of  the  New,  Teslatp.ent,  it  is  said,  that 
-'-the  Spirit  was  not  given  hefore  Jesus  was  glorified,  John  vii.  38, 
39.  Tlierefore  the  in:nisLr.uio.n  of  the  New  Testaiiienl  is  also  '■  the 
ministration  of  the  Spirit/'  2  Cor.  iii.  8. 

IIL  Tiiat  we  may  at  length  finish  our  meditations  on  the  Holy 
Ghosl,  vve  must  expound  our  .third  gcneialhead,  to  wit,  how  y\e 
must  beUeve  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  Remonstrants,  wlio  have  no  ereat  regard  for  the  doc- 
.trine  o£  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  they  have  not  neither  fcr  that 
of  the  Triiiity,  say  that  there  is  no  express  command  to  believe 
in  the  Holy  Ghost  ;  but  are  we  not  conmianded  to  believe  in  the 
Holy  Ghost  when  we  are  commanded  to  believe  in  God,  since  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  God.  as  they  themselves  allow  ?  Faith  is  a  holding 
of  a  person's  testimony  to  be  true.  Kow  the  scripluic  is  the  testi- 
mony of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  when  then  we  arc  commanded  to  believe 
the  word  of  God,  we  are  then  also  commanded  to  believe  in  the 
lioiy  Ghost.  And  therefore  every  person,  who  confesseth  his  faith 
saith  also,  1  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

This  faith  in  the  Holy  Gliost  consists,  (a)  in  holding  with  an  as- 
sured  mind  the  lestmiony  of  t!ie  Holy  Ghost,  and  so  the  whole  word 
of  God,  to  he  true,  on  account  of  the  tejramony  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  Spirit  exhibits  many  evidences  of  the  truth  and  divinity  of  the- 
word,  bctivin  the.  scripture  itself,  and  in  the  hearts  of  believers;  for 
"the  Spirit  testifi'eth  thnt  the  Spirit  is  the  truth,"  1  John  v.  5,  where- 
by believers  then  become  assured  of  the  truth  and  divinity  of  the 
word,  and  do  thus  believe.     Faith  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  consists  slso, 

(b)  in  accepting  him  in  and  through  Christ  upon  his  proffer.  The 
Lord. Jesus  prochiims  to  every  sinner,  "He  that  belicveth  on  me, 
as  tJie  soipture  haih  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living 
water..  F>ut  this  spake  he  of  the  Spirit,  which  they  that  believe  en 
him  should  receive,"  John  vii.  38,  39.  Now  he  who  believes  in 
Christ,  accepts- also  this  promise  in  and  with  him.     Add  to  this,  that- 

(c)  hith  in  the  Holy  Ghost  consists  also  in  the  believer's  having  an 
assurance,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  given  to  him  also  for  such  gifts, 
according  to  the  testin'.ony  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Holy  Ghost 
testificth  in  the  word,  that  he  who  believes  in  the  Son.  doth  also 
partake  of  him,  as  we  have  seen,  John  vii,  38,  39.  The  Spirit  enables 
the  believer  to  take  a  near  view  of  his  heart,  and  causeth  him  to  see 
that  he  himself  hath  wrought  f:\ilh  therein  ;  fcr  "the  Spirit  which  is- 


412  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  HOLY  GttOST. 

of  God,  causes  him  to  know  the  things,  which  are  freely  given  to 
him  of  God,"  I  Cor.  ii.  12.  Whereupon  ''the  Spirit  of  God  testi- 
fieth  v/iih  the  believer's  spirit,  that  he  is  a  child  of  God,"  Rom.  viii. 
16.  And  th^Tefore  he  doth  not  believe  this  of  his  own  imagination^ 
but  upon  the  divine  testimony  of  the  Spirit  himself, 


APPLICATION. 

When  we  now  duly  consider  all  that  bath  been  said,  must  we  not 
conclude  that  the  Spirit  works  grace  in  the  elect  effectnally,  in  such 
a  manner,  that  he  changes  the  heart,  and  irresistibly  ?  surely  yes  ; 
for  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  true  God,  and  he  works  in  a  divine  manner 
m  the  work  of  grace,  with  *'  the  exceeding  greatness  of  his  power, 
according  to  the  working  of  his  mighty  power,"  Eph.  i.  19.  Our 
reformed  church  therefore  teaches  with  good  reason,  that  there  ig 
such  an  effectual  grace  :  but  those  who  oppose  this  doctrine,  and  set 
free-will  against  the  Spirit,  deny  the  Holy  Spirit  and  his  work  of 
grace.  The  Socinians,  who  comiect  their  doctrines  better  than  the 
Remonstrants,  do  also  show  this,  when  they  deny  with  the  Godhead 
of  the  Spirit,  likewise  his  effectual  work  of  grace. 

"  Paul  finding  certain  disciples  at  Ephesus,  said  unto  them,  Have 
ye  received  the  Holy  Ghost  since  ye  believed  ?"  Acts  xix.  1,2.  He 
spoke  of  the  superordinary  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  which  in  those  days 
were  communicated  also  to  common  Christians,  as  \Ve  see  in  the 
sixth  verse  :  but  I  also  ask  you,  whoever  ye  be,  Have  ye  received 
the  saving  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Verily  this  a  matter  of  the 
greatest  importance  to  you,  for  if  ye  have  the  Holy  Spirit,  "  the 
Spirit  of  glory  and  of  God  resteth  upon  you,"  according  to  1  Peter 
iv.  14,  ye  have  then  also  the  Father  and  the  Son,  "  ye  abide  in  God, 
and  God  abideth  in  you  ;"  for  "  we  know  this,  because  he  hath  given 
us  of  his  Spirit,"  1  Jolm  iv.  13.  Ye  have  then  also  saving  faith,  and 
partake  of  Christ  and  of  all  his  benefits  ;  ye  may  live  joyfully  and 
comfortably  in  peace,  and  the  God  of  love  and  of  peace  will  be  with 
you,  yea,  his  '-pirit  will  abide  with  you  for  ever  ;  but  if  ye  have  not 
the  Spirit,  ye  are  then  yet  "  natural  men,  who  have  not  the  Spirit," 
as  holy  Jude  speaks  in  his  epistle,  at  the  nineteenth  verse,  and  there- 
fore "  ye  cannot  receive  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  for  they 
ai*e  foolishness  unto  you  ;  neither  can  ye  know  them,  because  they 
arc  spiritually  discerned,"  1  Cor,  ii.  14.     Ye  have  no  saving  interest 


XX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  5J.-  413i 

in  Christ :  for  "  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none 
of  his.  Ye  are  yet  after  the  flesh,  and  do  mind  the  things  of  the 
flesh,  ye  cannot  please  God,  and  shall  therefore  die,"  Rom.  viii.  5, 
8,  9,  13.  Therefore  bethink  yourselves  v/ell.  What  answer  do  ye 
return  to  yourselves  upon  that  important  question.  Have  ye  receiv- 
ed the  Holy  Ghost?  Do  ye  wish  to  discover  your  condition,  that  it 
may  conduce  to  your  salvation,  attend  then  to  the  different  disposi- 
tions of  men,  and  see  whether  ye  can  find  your  own. 

1.  Many  do  not  know  at  all  what  it  is  to  have  the  Spirit;  they 
may  indeed  say  with  Uie  disciples  at  Ephesus,  Acts  xix.  2.  "  We 
have  not  so  much  as  heard  whether  there  be  any  Holy  Ghost."  The 
things  of  this  life  possess  their  hearts  so,  that  they  regard  nothing 
but  eating,  drinking,  laboring,  buying  and  selling  :  doth  any  person 
speak  to  them  concerning  the  Spirit,  and  his  experimental  works, 
they  look  upon  it  to  be  strange  talk,  which  exceeds  their  comprehen- 
sion -J  yea,  some  will  deride  it,  as  enthusiasm  ;  "  but,"  as  Peter  saith, 
"  these  as  natural  brute  beasts,  made  to  be  taken  and  destroyed, 
speak  evil  of  the  things  that  they  understand  not^  and  shall  utterly 
perish  in  their  own  corruption,"  2  Peter  ii.  12.  Thus  holy  Jude 
also  speaks  in  the  tenth  verse  of  his  epistle. 

2.  Others  are  not  so  ignorant  nor  blasphemous,  but  exceedingly 
devout,  they  hear  gladly  a  serious  sermon,  and  w-th  Herod  do  many 
things  ;  yea,  some  are  exceedingly  attentive,  und  have  also  an  under- 
standing of  the  word,  yea,  they  relish  it  so,  that  through  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Lord  Jesus  they  escape  the  pollutions  of  the  world,  and 
show  thus  that  they  are  also  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  they 
depend  upon  this  common  work,  they  promise  themselves  heaven  in 
consequence  of  it,  and  doubt  not  that  they  will  be  saved  Unhappy 
men,  who  have  no  more  than  this,  who  have  neither  Spirit  nor  life, 
are  not  regenerated,  nor  united  to  Christ  !  1  ave  not  many  temporary 
believers  proceeded  further  than  ye  have  ?  See  it  in  Balaam,  Numb. 
Kxiii.  24,  in  Judas  and  others,  Matt.  vii.  22,  23.  xiii.  20,  21.  Heb. 
yi.  4,  5,  6.  2  Peter  ii.  20. 

3.  There  is  still  another  kind  of  persons  :  these  experience  such 
an  inward  working  of  the  Spiiit  convincing  them  of  sin  and  of  their 
unhappy  condition,  that  they  feel  an  arrow  in  their  souls :  but  some 
cannot  endure  such  a  particular  discovery,  and  therefore  they  oppose 
it  in  an  angry  manner,  and  so  "  resist  the  Holy  Ghost,"  Acts  vii. 
51.  Others  are  exceedingly  grieved,  that  they  are  so  miserable, 
but  the  work  is  not  perfected,  it  is  only  a  sea-sick  qualm,  which  soon 
ceaseth  :  they  either  reform  a  little,  and  depend  thereon,  without 
«yer  partaking  of  the  true  life  of  regeneration  and  of  faith,  or  they 


414  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

uiveit  their,  distress  by  amusemcnls,  oi*  by  necessary  business  ;  or- 
continuing  careless  and  not  bting  able  to  get  rid  cf  their  distress, 
they  diamiss  their  concern,  and  neglect  their  salvation,  and  oo  not 
slnve  any  more  to  be  saved.u  Yea,  many,  when  the  Holy  Spiiit  con- 
vincclh  thenx;,.  will,  look  upon  it  to  be  a  weakness  of  fuith,  and  an 
assault  of  the  devil,  which  they  ought  to  resist ;  and  if  tliey  cannot 
get  rid  of  their  concern, 'and  complain  of  it  to  an  unskiifiil  person, 
who  is  liot  acq^uainied  with  the  work  of  grace^  such  an  one  will  some- 
limes  iniorm  Uieni,  that  it  is  nothing'^  but  a  distemper  of  their  brain, 
lyhicii  they  muot  endeavour  to  remove.  And  thus  are  these  unhappy 
pei  sons  kept  back  from  Christ,  the  only  Saviour. 

4.  1  here  are  also  some,  who  are  exceedingly  concerned  whether 
the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  vviuch  they  perceive  in  themselves,  be 
indeed  the  saving  woik  of  the  Spirit  of  grace  arxording  to  the  word 
of  Cod.  They  would  not  willingly  deceive  themselves  in  this  mai- 
ler, and  therefore  they  examine  them.sclves  repeatedly,  and  ask  per- 
sons of  understanding  hov/  they  ought  to  conduct  with  themselves  in. 
this  respect,  so  that  they  may  not  be  finally  deceived,  arid  what  are 
the  true  evidences  of  the  Spirit  of  grace. 

We  inform  tliese  (a)  that  this  concern,  serious  examination,  and 
restless  desire  of  the  Spirit  of  grace,  is  a  sure  evidi^nce.  that  they 
are  truly  partakers  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  for  the  Holy  Ghost  causeLh 
persons  to  "  search,"  in  this  manner,  "  all  things,  yea,  the  deep 
things  of  GoJ/'  and  particularly,  whether  that  '^  be  re'ealed  to  them, 
which  eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  and  which  hath  never  en- 
tered into  the  heart  of  man,"  as  Paul  teacheth,  1  Cor.  ii.  9,  12. 
How  much  soever  temporary  believers  may  have  of  the  Spirit,  never- 
theless, they  will  not  suspect  themselves  so  much,  they  never  labour 
with  themselves,  but  only  with  their  undtrs-tandings,  that  they  may 
apprehend  spiritual  things,  may  instruct  others  in  a  masterly  man- 
ner, and  may  imagine  that  they  partake  of  the  Spirit  of  salvation, 
(b)  The  Spirit  of  grace  humbles  a  person,  and  renders  him  lowly  ;' 
for  he  discovers  to  him  the  abominable  nature  of  his  sins^  so  t!iat 
he  is  ashamed  of  Iiimself,  detests  and  humbles  himself  on  account  of 
them;  the  Spirit  causeth  him,  not  only  when  he  is  first  convinced* 
but  also  daily,  to  bev/ail  liis  inio^uity,  to  mourn  and  lament  over  it. 
This  we  see,  Zech.  xii.  10.  The  ten^porary  believer  neglects  this, 
he  thinks  that  his  sins  arc  forgiven  him.  (c)  The  Spirit  of  grace 
imports  a  knowledge  of  himself,  by  which  the  believer  knows  from 
experience  the  working  of  tiie  Spirit;  he  sees  that  it  is  the  Spirit 
who  hum!)les  him,  stirs  uj)  his  desires  to  Christ,  detaches  him  from, 
that  which  is  visible  and  sinful,  and  works  in  him  a  delight  to  do  the 


XX.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  53.  41 S 

\vili  of  the  Lord.     He  saith  with  the  spouse  ;  *'  It  is  the  voice  of  my 
Beloved,"  Song  ii.  8.     Can  he  not  venture,  through  an  unbelieving 
mistrustfulness,  to  think  that  ihe  Spirit  of  grace  influenctth  him,  he 
nevertheless  knows  how  he  would  have  it ;    when  another  exhibits 
the  true  nature  of  the  spuituai  work  of  grace,  he  thinks,  yea,  this  is 
it,  and  his  desire  goes  out  after  it,  to  possess  it  in  the  same  manner.. 
But  the  temporary  believer  doth  not  know  this:  doth  he  even,  know 
what  the  word  saith,  the  Spirit  hath  not  however  revealed  himself  to 
him  by  the  word  :    "  The  Spirit  of  truth,  the  world  cannot  receive" 
saith  the  Saviour, ''  because  it  seeth  him  not ;  neither  knoweth  hirn  ; 
but  ye  know  him,  for  he  dwelleth  with  you,  and  shall  be  in  you,'* 
John  xiv.  17.     See  also  1  Cor.  ii.  14,  15,  16.  (d)  The  Spirit  of  grace 
unites  the  believer  to  Christ,  he  discovers  him  to  the  soul,   so  that 
she  desires  him,  surrenders  herself  to  him,  and  receives  him  ;.  for  **  the 
Spirit   of  truth   testifieih  of    Jesus,"    John  xv.  26.     "  The    Spirit 
strengthens  him  with  might  in  the  inner  man,  that  Christ  may  dwell 
by  faith  in  his  heart,"  Eph.  iii.  16,  17.     Others  remain  out  of  Christ-, 
ind  attend  only  to  certain  outward  duties,    (e)  The  Holy  Spirit  also- 
sanctifies  the  soul,  renders  her  averse  from  sin,  causes  her  to  fight 
against  it,  that   she  may   be  deUvered  from  it,  and  may  live  only  to 
God,  according  to  the  Spirit :  others  think  that  they  are  great  profi- 
cients in  holiness,  when  they  only  abstain  from  gross  iniquities,  though 
their  whole  heart  be  filled  wiih   the  things  of  the  earth.     This  evi- 
ilence  Paul  gives  us,  Rom.  viii.  5.     *•  They   that  are  after  the  flesh 
do  mind  the  things  of  the  flesh  ;    but  they  that  are  after  the  Spirit, 
the  things  of  the  Spirit,"  (f)  The  Spirit  accompanies  his  word.     See 
this,  Isaiah  lix.  21.     Acts  x.  44.  xvi.  14.     Because  the  Spirit  influ- 
enceth  the  soul  by  ;he  word,  therefore  the  bchever  hath   so  great  a 
desire  to  it,  so  great  a  delight  in  it,  and  love  to  it :  but  others  excite 
certain  emotions  in  themselves  without  the  word,  by  certain  exertions, 
and  compel  themselves  to  believe  that  these  are  the  works  of  the 
Holy  Ghost ;    or  they  content  themselves  with  the  word,  althougli 
their  souls  remain  cold  and  immovable,  and  without  spirit. 

Ye  may  now  see  whether  ye  have  received  the  Spirit  of  grace  or 
not;  and  have  ye  not  received  that  Spirit,  be  concerned,  and  be  de- 
sirous to  receive  the  Spirit,  pray  to  God  that  he  would  give  him  to 
you  :  for  "  the  heavenly  Father  giveth  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that 
ask  him,"  Luke  xi.  13.  Remain  under  a  serious  ministration  of 
the  Spirit,  even  the  word  ;  for  "  the  Holy  Ghost  falls  on  them  who 
hear  the  word,"  Acts  x.  44. 

But  do  ye  truly  and  savingly  partake  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  take 
heed  to  conduct  properly  toward  him  ;  and  therefore, 


416  FAITH  IN  GOD  THE  HOLY  GHOST. 

1.  *'  Grieve  not  the  Spirit  of  God,  by  whom  ye  are  sealed  unto  the 
day  of  redemption,"  Eph.  iv.  30.  Will  ye  know  how  we  grieve 
the  Spirit  ?  We  do  this,  (a)  by  not  obeying  his  commands,  motions, 
convictions,  and  excitations,  but  resisting  him  in  these  respects ; 
therefore  it  is  said,  Isaiah  Ixiii.  10,  "  But  they  rebelled  and  vexed 
his  Hoiy  spirit :  therefore  he  was  turned  to  be  their  enemy,  and  he 
fought  against  them."  (b)  By  an  unbelieving  suspicion,  and  a  fret- 
ful discontent  with  the  leading  of  the  Hoiy  Spirit.  Concerning  this 
Eliphaz  asked  Job,  "  Are  the  consolations  of  God  small  with  thee  ? 
is  there  any  secret  thin^  with  thee  ?  Why  doth  thine  heart  carry 
thee  away  ?  and  what  do  thine  eyes  wink  at,  that  thou  turnest  thy 
Spirit  against  God,  and  lettest  such  words  go  out  of  thy  mouth  ?" 
Job  XV.  1 1, 12,  13.  (c)  By  scandalous  sins.  David  was  oblic^ed,  on 
account  of  such  sins,  to  pray  that  *'  God  would  not  take  his  bpirit 
from  him,  but  lestore  to  him  the  joy  of  his  salvation,"  Psalm  li.  11, 
12.  (d)  By  "  quenching  the  Spirit,"  from  which  the  apostle  dehort- 
eth  I  Thess.  v.  1  9.  This  we  do  often  in  ourselves  by  a  defect  of 
zealj  in  others  by  suspecting  and  opposing  their  gifts  and  graces : 
we  do  it  also  when  we  use  our  liberty  to  excess,  so  that  we  oflend 
those  who  are  weak  ;  for  "  thus  we  sin  against  the  brethren,  and 
wounding  their  weak  conscience,  we  sin  against  Christ,"  1  Cor.  viii. 
12.  (e)  By  envying  the  grace  and  gifts  of  others,  by  which  discon- 
tentment arises  on  both  sides,  and  the  Spirit  being  grieved  in  this 
manner,  departs  ;  therefore  James  asks,  *'  Do  ye  think  that  the 
scripture  saith  in  vain.  Doth  the  Spirit  who  dwelleth  in  us,  delight 
in  envy  ?"*  James  iv.  5.  This  ought  not  so  to  be,  my  brethreiif 
"  but  follow  after  charity,  and  covet  spiritual  gifts." 

2.  Cherish  and  stir  up  in  yourselves  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
by  a  constant  attention  to  the  inbreathings  of  the  Spirit,  by  following 
them,  depending:  on  them,  making  use  of  spiritual  means,  and  con- 
verging with  spiritual  persons.  Thus  Paul  admonished  his  Timothy, 
to  *•  stir  up  the  gift  of  God,  which  was  in  him,"  2  Tim.  i.  6. 

Walk  and  conduct  in  all  things  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  *'  If  we  live 
by  the  Npirit,  let  us  also  walk  by  the  Spirit."!  saith  Paul,  Gal.  v.  25. 
Permit  me  to  declare  briefly,  how  v/e  walk  by  the  Spirit.  We  do 
this  (a)  when  we  walk  according  to  the  rule  or  v/ord  of  the  Spirit, 
Gal.  vi.  16  (b)  When  we  employ  ourselves  with  spiritual  things,  Eph. 
v.  18,  19.  Rom.  viii.  5.  (c)  When  we  act  from  tiic  spiritual  princi- 
ple of  liie,  1  Tim.  i.  5.  JNIatt.  xii.  35.  Psalm  xlv.  2.  (d)  When 
we  regulate  ourselves  by  spiritual  ends  in  our  aciions,  i  Cor.  x.  31. 
(e)  When  we  do  all  things  by  the  influence  of  the  Lord's  Spirit,  and 

•  This  is  according  to  the  Dutch  translation. 

t  We  have  rer.devsd  this  passage  accovdinj  (o  tlic  Datch  translation. 


XX.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  53.  4\7 

not  by  our  own  might  and  power,  Zech.  iv  6.  (f)  And  also  when 
we  conduct  ourselves  circumspectly,  and  courageously  through  ihe 
Holy  pirii,  and  thus  "  walk  in  the  fear  cf  the  Lord,  and  in  ihe  com- 
fort of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  Acts  ix.  31. 

Thus  yc  will  have  the  clearest  evidences  that  ye  are  truly  partakers 
of  Christ  and  all  his  benefits  ;  your  souls  will  be  filled  with  the  com- 
fort of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  yea,  the  Spirit  will  abide  with  you  for  ever, 
and  your  state  will  remain  immovable  through  the  Almiu;hty  Spirit, 
until  he  pronounce  you  blessed  in  death,  and  quickeii  your  bodies  in 
the  blessed  resurrection ;  for  "  we  ourselves,  who  have  the  first 
fruits  of  the  Spirit,  even  we  ourselves,  groan  within  ourselves,  wait- 
ing for  the  adoption,  to  wit,  the  redemption  of  our  body,"  saith  Paul, 
Rom.  viii.  23,    Amen. 


^ 


31 


4  is  ) 


THE 


CHURCH  OF  GOD, 


AND   HER 


BENEFITS  IN  THIS  LIFE. 


XXI.  LORD'S  DAY. 


1  Cor.  i.  2.  Unto  the  church  of  God  which  is  at  Corinth,  to  them 
that  are  sanctified  in  Christ  Jesus,  called  to  be  saints,  with  all 
that  in  every  place  call  upon  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord, 
both  theirs  and  ours. 

Q,  54.  What  believest  thou  concermng  ^^  the  holij  catholic  chuich'* 
of  Christ  ? 

A.  That  the  Son  of  God,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  gathers,  defends,  and  preserves  to  himself  by  his  Spirit  and 
word,  5ut  of  the  whole  human  race,  a  church  chosen  to  everlasting 
life,  agreeing  in  true  faith  ;  and  that  I  am,  and  for  ever  shall  remain 
a  living  member  thereof.  j 

Q.  55,    What  do  you  understand  by  «  the  com?rMmon  of  the  saints  ?"     J 

A.  First,  that  all  and  every  one  who  believes,  being  members  of 
Christ,  are  in  common,  partakers  of  him,  and  of  all  his  riches  and 


XXI.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  54—46.  /tlS 

i^ifts  :  secondly,  that  every  one  mii-st  know  it  to  be  his  duty  readily 
and  cheertully  to  employ  his  tjifts,  for  t'ic  advanta^ie  inid  s^dvation 
of  other  membi;rs. 

Q.  56.  JVhat  bcUevest  thou  concerning  "  the  forgiveness  of  sins  ?" 
A.  That  God,  for  the  sake  of  Christ's  satisfaction,  wdl  no  more 
reznembcr  ray  sins,  and  my  corrupt  nature,  against  wiiich  I  have  to 
strugi^ie  all  my  hfe  long  ;  but  will  graciously  impute  to  nie  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ,  that  I  may  never  be  condenaned  before  the  tri- 
bunal of  God. 

X  RULY  God  is  good  to  Israel,"  saith  Asaph,  Psalm  Ixxiii.  1. 
<»  The  Lord  is  indeed  good  to  all ;  and  his  tender  mercies  are  over 
all  his  works,"  Psalm  cxlv.  9.  Yea,  there  is  no  creature,  whether 
rational,  or  irrational,  animate,  or  inarjmate,  that  doth  not  exhibit 
many  evidences  of  the  divine  goodness.  "  He  is  kind  also  to  the 
unthankful  and  to  the  evil."  LuJke  vi.  35.  But  God  is  good  particu- 
larly to  Israel  from  a  hearty  and  fatherly  love,  "  giving"  himself 
"  his  Son,  and  ail  things  with  him"  to  Israel,  Rom.  viii.  32.  The 
Lord  promised  once  with  respect  to  Solomon's  temple,  1  Kings  ix. 
3.  "  Mine  eyes  and  mine  heart  shall  be  there  perpetually."  But 
this  is  especially  true  v/ith  respect  to  Israel,  his  spiritual  temple  ; 
for  God  doth  set  his  heart  upon  Isra*;!  with  a  special  affection  ;  he 
bestows  himself  wholly  upon  them  for  an  inheritance,  and  a  suffi- 
cient possession  :  "  Israel  is  that  happy  people,  whose  God  is  the 
Lord,  and  whom  he  hath  chosen  for  his  own  mheritance,'*  Psalm 
xxxiii.  12.  Yea,  the  whole  divine  Trinity  is  engaged  in  showing 
favour  to  Israel ;  the  Father  elected  them,  the  Son  redeemed  them, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  sanctifies  ihem  ;  and  therefore  the  believing 
Israelites  are  "  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal  priesthood,  an  holy  na- 
tion, a  peculiar  people,"  I  Peter  ii.  9.  They  are  "  the  church  of  God, 
sanctified  in  Chiist  Jesus,  called  to  be  saints,"  as  Paul  saith  in  our 
text ;  and  herewith  agrees  the  description,  which  the  instructor  gives 
of  the  church,  upon  vvhich  God  besto  vs  such  precious  favours,  both 
in  this  life,  and  in  that  which  is  to  come. 

Having  seen  thus  far  the  lovingkindness  of  the  three  Persons  in. 
the  divine  essence,  and  that  each  person  contributes  his  share  to  the 
salvr.tion  of  the  sinner,  it  behooves  us  now  to  srow  you  who  are  the 
Israel,  the  church  of  God,  to  v/hich  he  shows  all  his  saving  kindness- 
It  appears  that  three  particulars  are  exhibited  to  us  here : 
I.  The  faith  of  Chrit.lians  concerning  the  church,  Q.  14. 
XL  Concerning  the  ccnimunioD  of  saints,  Q.  55o 


420    THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD,  AND  HER  BENEFITS  IN 

III.  Concerning  the  forgiveness  of  sins, -Q.  56. 
].  With  respect  to  the  faith  of  Christians  concerning  the  church 
we  -will  inquire  1.  What  the  church  is,  2.  How  we  believe  this 
church. 

1 .  In  order  that  we  may  learn  what  the  church  is,  we  must  know 
that  the  word  church  is  properly  a  Greek  word,  and  that  it  signifies 
the  Lord's,  as  this  word  is  used  of  the  Lord's  supper,  and  the  Lord's, 
day,    1  Cor.  xi.  20,  Rev.  i.  10.     And  this  word  was  also  used  thus 
by  the  Christians  of  old  to  denote  the  houses  of  worship,  which  they 
set  apart  for  the  worship  of  the  Lord  ;  but  when  we  now  make  use 
of  the  word  church,  we  understand  by  it  not  only  the  ordinary  houses 
of  worship,  but  particularly  the  congregation  of  the  Lord.     This  is 
called  by  the   Hebiew^  gneda/i,  Jer.  xxx,  20,  and  kahal.     The  first 
word  is  sometimes  translated  by  the  Greeks  "  Synagogue,"  as  we 
see  in  the  septuagint,  Joshua  xxii.  16,  which  word  iscomrftonly  used 
by  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament  to  denote  the  Jewish  houses  of 
worship,   which  they  had   besides  the  temple ;  and  sometimes  also 
the  assembhcs  of  Christians,   who  were  of  Jewish  extraction,  as  we 
may  see,  Heb   x.  25   James  ii.  2.  But  the  Hebrews  most  commonly 
used  the  word  kahal^  as  the  Greeks  did  the  word  ekklesia,  by  which  they 
translate  that  Hebrew  word>as  v;e  may  see,  Psalm  xxii.  22,  25,  which 
word,  derived  from  e/c,  and  kaleo^   signifieth  an  assembly  of  men  call- 
ed from  among  others,  and  together.     And   so  this  word  is  used  of 
the  church  and  congregation  of  the  Lord,  which  is  called  and  gath- 
ered together  oy  his  word  and  Spirit,  Matt.  xvi.  18,  either  with  re- 
spect to  her  internal  state  ;  and   so  believers  only  are  called  "  the 
church,   which   God  hath    purchased  with  his  blood,"  Acts  xx.  28, 
Eph.  V.  25,   26,  or  with  respect  to  her  external  state,  in  the  publick 
administration  of  the  word  and  sacraments,  to  which  hypocrites  also 
join  themselves.     This,  considered  by  itself,   and  without  respect  lo 
the  leaders,  is  sometimes  called  "  the  church  of  the  living  God," 
1  Tim.  iii.  15,  as  tlie  leaders  also,  exclusively  of  the  common  mem- 
bers, are  sometimes  called  the  church.   Matt,  xviii.  17,  "Tell  it  to 
the  church."     Tliis  word  is  moreover   used  to  denote  the  body  of 
believers,  in  this  or  that  place ;  so  the  apostles  wrote  their  epistles 
to  particular  churches,  as  John  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia,   Rev. 
i»  11.     It  is  also  used  to  der^Jte  the  catholic  (or  universal)  church  of 
all  times,  nations,  and  places,  of  which  the  particular  churches  are 
particular  members.     "  God  gave  him,"  namely  Christ,  "  to  be  the 
head  over  all  things  to  the  church,  which  is  his  body,  and  the  fulness 
of  him  that  filleth  all  in  all,"  Eph.  i.  22,  23.     And  in  this  sense  the 
church  is  spoken  of  in  the  creed,  and  in  this  Lord's  day.     And  thus 


THIS  LIFE.        XXI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  54—56.      421 

tliis  church  is  also  called  fianeguris^  "  the  general  assembly,"  Heb* 
xii.  23,  a  word  which  was  used  to  denote  the  body  of  men,  who 
came  together  to  the  pubiick  shows.  And  'ruly  the  most  glorious 
publick  show  is  exhibited  in  the  church  :  '^  By  the  church  is  r.vdde 
known  to  the  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly  places  the  muni-- 
fold  wisdom  of  God,  according  to  the  eternal  purpose,  which  he  pur- 
posed  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,"  Eph.  iii.  10,  lU  See  also,  vrs. 
18,  19. 

Having  explained  thus  previously  the  word  church,  we  will  con- 
sider more  particularly,  A.  The  nature  of  the  church.  B.  The  epi- 
thets of  it,  holy,  catholic,  and  Christian,  C  The  different  situations 
of  it,  and  D,  the  manner  in  which  it  becomes  a  church,  which  the 
instructor  explains  in  tlie  fifty  fourth  question. 

A.  To  the  nature  of  the  church  pertains,  that  it  is  the  body  of 
Christ,  consisting  of  members,  head,  and  the  union  of  both. 

1.  The  members  of  the  church  are  not  the  angels  j  for  although 
"  Christ  hath  subjected  the  angels  to  himself,"  as  Peter  speaks,  I 
Peter  iii,  22,  and  though  believers  "  are  come  to  an  innumerable 
company  of  angels,"  Heb.  xii.  22,  and  they  are  '•  fellow  servants"  of 
the  preachers  of  the  word,  Rev.  xxii.  9,  and  "  are  sent  forth  to  min- 
ister for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation,"  Heb.  i.  13,  neverthe- 
less the  privileges  and  benefits  of  the  church  belong  not  to  them. 
On  this  account  also  the  reprobates,  who  join  themselves  in  an  out- 
v/ard  manner  to  the  church,  are  not  true  members  of  the  church, 
which  the  Papists  nevertheless  imagine,  because  they  will  have  that 
outward  multitudes  and  splendour  are  marks  of  the  true  church,  and 
that  the  Pope  of  Home  is  the  publick  head  of  the  church.  Repro- 
bates, who  are  outwardly  in  the  church,  are  not  in  it  as  wheat,  but 
as  "  chaft',  which  shall  be  burned  wit'i  unquenchable  fire,"  Matt,  iii, 
12,  as  "  evil  fishes,  which  must  be  castaway,"  IMatt.  xiii.  48,  as 
"vessels  of  dishonour."  2  Tim.  ii.  20.  They  may  join  themselves 
to  tne  church,  but  they  are  not  of  the  church,  1  John  ii  19.  "For 
he  is  not  a  Jew,  which  is  one  outwardly,  neither  is  that  circumcision, 
which  is  outv/ard  in  the  flesh  ;  but  he  is  a  Jew,  which  is  one  inward- 
ly ;  and  circumcision  is  that  of  the  heart,  in  the  spirit,  and  not  in 
the  letter,  whose  praise  is  not  of  men,  but  of  God,"  Rom.  ii.  2S,  29. 
See  also  v/hat  is  said,  i^om  ix.  6,  7,  8  And  therefore  ^\cc\.  believers 
only  are  true  members  of  the  church  :  "  Those  who  are  sanctified  in 
Christ  Jesus,  called  to  be  saints,"  as  the  apostle  speaks  in  the  text ; 
"  the  called,  the  chosen  and  faithful,  who  are  with  Christ,"  Rev.  xvii. 
14,  of  whom  Christ  is  "  the  Head  and  Saviour,"  to  whom  they  "  are 
subject  J  those  v/hom  Christ   loveth,   for  whom   he  gave   himself. 


422    THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD,  AND  HEP  BENEFITS  IN 

whom  he  sanctifieth,  and  presents  to  himself  as  glorioui,"  Eph.  v. 
23 — 27,  for  the  church  is  '^  his  body;"  Eph.  i.  23,  "  his  bride/'  Rev» 
xxii.  17, ''  his  sheep,"  x.  26—28. 

2.  Christ  alone  is  the  head  of  the  church  ;  foF  his  headship  over 
the  churcii  is  lepresenied  as  the  same  with  his  sittiog  at  the  right 
hand  of  God,  ana  wiiii  his  universal  lordshipover  all  things,  as  Paul 
explains  it,  Eph.  i.  20 — 23.  And  it  therefore  denotes  (a)  his  dcmm- 
ion  over  the  church,  he  is  therefore  called  the  Lord,  Shepherd,  King', 
Bridegroom  and  Husband  of  the  church,  (b)  his  gh-^ry  and  excel- 
lency above  all  that  is  glorious,  (c)  his  union  with  the  true  members^ 
and  also  (d)  his  influencing  of  ail  his  members. 

Therefore  Peter  is  not  the  visible  head  ol"  the  church,  much  less 
is  the  Pops  of  Rome  ;  for  (a)  then  there  would  be  two  heads  of  one 
body,  and  the  chvrch  would  thus  be  a  monster,  (b)  Such  a  glory  be- 
longs not  to  any  creature,  neither  is  any  creature  capable  of  exert- 
ing it ;  for  it  cannot  influence  the  members,  (c)  Peter  refused  every 
kind  of  headship,  and  forbade  others  to  assume  it.  See  this  I  Peter 
V.  1,  2,  3.  (d)  If  it  were  even  ao,  that  Peter  v,^as  the  head  of  the 
church,  it  would  not  follow  therefrom  that  the  Pope  is  the  head,  for 
he  hath  neither  tlie  doctrine,  nor  the  life  of  Peter,  (e)  The  Pope  by 
arrogating  this  honour  to  himself,  evincelh  that  he  is  ''the  man  of 
sin,  the  son  of  perdition,  who  opposeth  and  exalteth  himself  above 
all  thai  is  called  God,  and  that  is  worshipped  j  so  that  he  as  God 
sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself  that  he  is  God,"  2 
Thess.  ii.  3,  4. 

Thcrelbre  Christ  aIo:-ie  is  the  head  of  his  church  ;  and  he  was  the 
head  under  the  Old  Testament,  as  he  is  now  under  the  New  ;  for 
the  church  glcritd  in  him  as  such,  Isaiah  xxxiii-  22,  "  The  Lord  is 
our  judge,  the  Lord  is  our  lawgiver,  the  Lord  is  our  king,  he  will 
s:vYe  us,"  Therefore  it  must  appear  ey.ceedingly  strange  to  us,  that 
certain  persons  v/ill  have,  that  the  church  of  the  Old  Testament  v/as 
in  bondage  under  the  elders,  the  priests  and  prophets,  as  other  Lords, 
associates  of  Christ,  Gods  on  earth,  and  Gods  so  called.  What  is 
thiii  but  saying  that  there  were  many  heads  of  the  church  under  the 
Did  Testament,  contrary  to  its  nature.  * 

*  By  these  persons  the  author  understands  the  Coeccians,  a  party  more  es- 
pecially in  the  Refnrnfd  churches  of  Holland,  Switzerland  and  Germany, 
£o  called  from  their  founder  John  Coceeius,  a  native  of  Bremen,  and  profes- 
sor of  thc-ojogy  in  the  university  of  Leyden,  a  njan  of  eminent  piety,  but  of 
a  luxuriant  fancy.  They  entertained  several  singular  opinions  in  llieology, 
but  did  nut  deviate  from  the  btandarda  of  the  RefonreJ  church. 


THIS  LIFE.        XXI.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  54—56.        423 

3.  To  the  nature  of  the  church  pertains  yl?.a  tjic  union  of  the 
members  >vith  the  Head,  and  in  the  Head  with  one  another ;  but  as 
this  constitutes  the  nature  of  the  comniunion  of  saints,  v.-e  will  defer 
speakiiVii'  of  this  matter,  until  we  treat  of  thcvc  privilege. 

B.  This  church  is  called  ^»  a  holy,  catholic,  Christian"  church. 
The  church  is  (a)  "a  holy"  clujrcb  ;  for  '<  she  is  washtd,  and  sanc- 
titied  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  c.nd  by  the  Spirit  of  our  God," 
1  Cor.  vi.  11.  she  is  separated  from  the  world,  dedicated  to  God,  aad 
lives  holily  according  to  the  will  of  God ;  and  the  Saviour  "  gave 
iiimself,  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify  to 
himself  a  peculiar  people,  zeaious  of  good  works,"  Titus  ii.  14.  (b) 
The  church  is  also  "  catholic,"  or  universal.  This  applies  not  to 
the  church  of  Rome,  as  though  it  were  her  peculiar  privilege,  and 
thus  a  title  of  honour,  and  an  evidence  that  the  true  church  is 
to  be  found  with  the  Papists  ;  for  Roman  Catholic  is  as  great  a  con- 
tradiction as  particular  universal;  the  church  of  Saidis  "  had  the 
name  that  she  lived,  and  she  was  dead,"  Rev.  iii.  I.  In  the  church 
of  Philadelphia  there  wtre  <••  t/iose  who  said  that  they  were  Jews, 
and  were  not,  but  lied,"  Rev.  iii.  9.  Thus  also  the  Romish  church 
saith  that  she  is  catholic,  or  universal,  but  she  lies  ;  for  she  hath 
apostatized  from  the  doctrine  of  the  uuiversal  church,  and  is  become 
antichristian,  as  may  be  seen  from  a  comparison  of  the  Romish 
church  with  the  word  ol  God  :  b\it  the  church  is  ca'led  catholic,  or 
universal,  because  it  comprehendeth  all  the  believers  of  all  limes 
and  placfts  ;  hath  one  universal  doctrine  in  all  times  and  places,  and 
partakes  of  all  the  graces  and  privilej^es  of  all  the  true  members  : 
"  Thete  is  one  body,  and  one  Spirit,  one  hope,  one  Lord,  one  faith, 
one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of  h11,  who  is  above  ail,  and  through 
all,  and  m  all,"  Eph.  iv.  4,  5,  6.  But  the  church  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament is  especially  universal,  because  it  is  not,  like  tlie  Old  Testa- 
ment church,  hmited  to  one  nation  and  country,  but  is  redeemed  to 
God  by  Christ  with  his  blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
people,  and  nation,"  Rev.  v.  9.  This  church;  called  and  gathered 
from  Jews  and  Gentiles,  is  named  "  the  general  assembly,"  Heb. 
xii.  22.  Therefore  she  is  also  surnamed  (c)  Christian,  after  Christ 
her  Head,  as  hath  been  shown  more  particularly  upon  the  thirty- 
second  question. 

C.  This  church  may  be  considered  in  different  situations,  and  in- 
deed as  (a)  militant  and  triumphant.  The  church  militant  is  here 
on  earth,  and  hath  many,  exceedingly  mi'j,hty,  crafty,  and  unwearied 
enemies  ;  the  devil,  the  world*  and  her  own  flesh  ;  but  she  will  over- 
come them,  and  triump!\  in  heaven.     That  great  champion  Paul, 


424    THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD,  AND  HER  BENEFITS  IN 

having  respect  lo  this,    said,   "  I  have   fought  a  good  fight,    I  have 
finished  my  course,  I  have  kept   the  faith  ;    henceforth  there  is  laid 
up  ior  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous 
Judge  shall  give  me  in  that  day  :  and  not  to  me  only,  but  to  all  them 
also  that  love  his  appearing,"  2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8.  (b)  The  church  mili- 
tant is  invisible  and  visible.     The  church  is  invisible,  with  respect  to 
her  true  members,  whose  inward  grace  of  the  heart  God  alone  in- 
fallibly knoweth  :  '»  The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his,"  2  Tim. 
ii.  19.  See  also  Rom.  ii.  28,  29.  Coll.  iii.  3.     The  church  is  visible, 
with  respect  to  her  pablick  profession,  worship,  and  holy  conversa- 
tion.    And  so  the  church  is  called  "  the  light  of  the  world,  a  city 
«n  a  hill,  which  cannot  be  hid,"  Matt.  v.  14.  (c)  This  visible  church 
is  sometimes   manifest,  when  she  enjoys  great  glory  and  prosperity 
in  the  world,  and  is  not  persecuted  ;  when  "  kings  are  her  nursing 
fathers,    and  queens  her  nursing  mothers,"  Isaiah  xlix.  23.  See  this 
also,  Rev.  xi.  15.     But  the  church  is  also  sometimes  hidden,  when 
she  is  compelled,  on  account  of  the  general  prevalence  of  errours  in 
doctrine  and  ptactice,  and  on  account  of  grievous  persecutions,  to 
conceal  herself,  and  "  flee  into  the  wilderness,"  Rev.  xiu  6,  so  that 
even  a  prophet,  like  Elijah,   thinks  "  that  he  only  is  left,"  although 
the  Lord  God  "  reserves  seven  thousand  besides,  a  remnant  according 
to  the  election  of  grace,"  who  are  not  carried  away  with  the  flood  of 
seductions,   as  we  may   see,    1  Kings  xix.  14,    18,  Rom.  xi.  1 — 5. 
Therefore  it  is  no  mark  of  the  true  church,  that  she  enjoys  always 
a  great  outward  splendor  in  the  world,  as  the  Papists  fancy ;  this  is 
rather  a  mark  of  the  whore  of  Babylon,  ,*'  who  saith  in  her  heart,  I 
sit  a  queen,  and  am  no  widow,  and  shall  see  no  sorrov/,"  Rev.  xviii. 
7.     When  we  read  so  frequently  in  the  Old  Testament  concerning 
the  splendor  of  the  New  Testament  church,  this  doth  not  indicate 
that  she  should  always  possess  such  glory,  but  we  must  understand 
it  sometimes  also  of  her  inward  and  spiritual  state  ;  therefore  none 
Heeds  to  a-ik  us,  where  our  church  was  before  the  time  of  Luther  and 
Calvin,    since,   according  to  the  prophecy,   she  was  constrained  to 
"  flee  into  the  wilderness  for  a  thousand,  two  hundred  and  threescore 
days,"  Rev.  xii.  5.  (d)  The  church  is  also  considered  as  representa- 
tive, being   the  leaders,   who  represent  the  whole  church,  and  are 
therefore  called  the   church  itself.   Matt,  xviii.   17,  and  also  "the 
presbytery,"    I  Tim   iv.  14-     The  church  is  also  called  the  repre- 
sent^;d,  which  is  the  body  of  believers,  who  are  represented  by  their 
leaders  ;  as  these  are  also  called  the  church.  Acts  xx.  28.   1  Tim. 
iii.    15. 

D.  In  order  that  we  may  learn  what  the  church  is,  we  must  know 


THIS  UFEc         XXL  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  54—56.        425 

jxlso  how  she  becomes  a  church.  This  is  explained  to  us  in  a  most 
j^eautiful  manner,  in  the  fifty  fourth  question  ;  in  which  we  are 
taught,  1.  The  essentials,  that  properly  coLstituie  her  a  church,  that 
the  bon  of  God  gathers  and  unites  her  in  the  true  i'aith,  2,  whence  he 
gathers  her,  3,  by  what  means,  4,  according  to  what  plan,  5,  when, 
and  6,  how  he  defends  and  preserves  her. 

That  we  may  not  be  too  diffuse,  we  shall  treat  of  each  particular 
briefly  :  I.  The  essentials,  that  properly  constitute  her  a  church,  are, 
that  '*  the  Son  of  God  gathers  and  unites  her  in  the  true  faith,"  that 
is,  that  ail  the  members  believe  one  doctrine  with  one  mind  ;  one 
member  conceives  not  differently  from  another  of  God,  and  of  his 
revealed  way  of  salvation.  "  Faith  is  common,"  Titus  i.  3,  as  "  sal- 
vation is  also  common,"  Jude  vrs.  3.  Yea,  all  the  members  have 
the  same  mind  of  faith,  "  one  heart,  and  one  way,"  Jer.  xxxii.  39. 
We  have  shown  this  also  in  treating  on  the  epithet  "  catholic."  To 
this  they  are  gathered  :  before  the  Lord  lays  his  hand  on  them, 
they  are  "  the  children  of  God,  scattered  abroad,  but  whom  he  gath- 
ers together,"  John  xi.  52,  as  "  sheep  that  are  not  of  his  fold,  which 
he  brings  in  ;  and  so  they  become  one  fold,  and  one  Shepherd," 
John  X.  16.  And  this  inbrin^ing  and  uniting  constitutes  the  essence 
of  the  church,  which  consists  in  the  communion  of  saints,  whereof 
ave  shall  speak  particularly  hereafter. 

2.  He  gathers  these  "  out  of  the  whole  human  race."  He  doth 
not  gather  the  whole  human  race,  as  the  Socinians  think,  as  though 
God  revealed  a  general  doctrine  of  salvation  to  all  men  ;  or,  as  the 
Remonstrants  fancy,  that  God  gave  a  general  covenant  of  grace,  and 
a  general  sufficient  grace  to  all  men,  and  called  all  men  to  salvation  : 
for  '<  God  suffered  in  times  past  the  Gentiles  to  walk  in  their  own 
ways,"  Acts  xiv.  16.  Psalm  cxlvii.  19,  20.  And  in  this  manner  doth 
the  Lord  God  still  deal  with  many  nations,  withholding  his  word  and 
Spirit  from  them.  See  Acts  xvi.  6,  7.  But  the  Son  of  God  gathers 
his  church  out  of  the  whole  human  race  ;  he  singles  out  this  and 
that  people,  this  and  that  person,  and  brings  them  to  communion 
with  himself  and  with  his  church,  while  he  leaves  others  to  them- 
selves. Under  the  Old  Testament  he  confined  himself  to  the  pos- 
terity of  Seth,  Shem  and  Abraham  ;  but  under  the  New  Testament 
*'  he  hath  visited  the  Gentiles,  to  take  out  of  them  a  people  for  his 
name,"  Acts  xv.  14.     See  also  John  x.  16.  xi.  52.  Rev.  v.  9. 

3,  The  Son  of  God  doth  this  «  by  his  word  and  by  his  Spirit." 
He  sends  his  ministers  into  the  world  lo  call  sinners  unto  him,  and 
to  invite  them  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  and  come  to  fellowship  with 
him  and  with  his  people  ;  but  the  voice  of  his  ministers  is  not  pow- 

SK 


42Q    THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD,  AND  HER  BENEFITS  IN 

erRil  enou:^h  to  subdue  the  stubborn  hearts  of  shiners  to  the  Lord  f 
Jesus  nevertheless  wilhng  lo  iiave  the  heathen  for  his  inheritance, 
and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  his  possession,  exerts  his 
power,  that  he  may  render  them  obedient  to  his  word  :  Mark  relates 
of  the  apostles,  chap  xvi.  20,  ''  that  they  went  forth  and  preached 
every  where,  the  Lord  working  with  them,"  \nd  thus  he  makes 
*'  his  anovvs  sharp,"  and  wounds  with  them  *'  the  hearts  of  his  ene- 
mies, bo  that  people  fall  under  him,"  Psalm  xlv.  5.  *•  The  rebell- 
ious dwell  with  him,"  Psalm  Ixviii.  18.  And  so  "  he  rules  in  the 
midst  of  his  enemies,  making  them  a  willing  people,"  Psalm  ex.  2, 
3,  by  which  they  also  become  inclined  to  "  join  themselves  to  the 
Lord  and  to  his  people,"  Isaiah  xliv.  3,  4,  5  Ivi.  3—7.  And  so  his 
calling  is  effectual  and  irresistible,  since  he  doth  not  employ  his  word 
onlv,  but  also  his  Spirit,  '*  the  exceeding  greatness  of  his  power,'" 
Eph.  i.  18,  19,  20.  The  Lord  doth  not  however  influence  all  men 
in  this  manner,  but  he  bestows  on  them  only  a  common  operation 
of  his  Spirit,  through  which  some  submit  themselves  feignedly,  and 
others  resist  the  Spirit,  like  the  Jews,  Acts  vii.  51.  And  when  this 
is  rightly  considered,  we  see  how  the  calling  is  external  and  internal, 
resistible  and  irresistible;  and  so  the  opinion  of  the  Remonstrants, 
that  this  calling  can  be  resisted  by  freewill,  and  their  objections 
against  our  doctrine,  fall  to  the  ground. 

4.  As  God  worketh  all  things  according  to  the  counsel  of  his  own 
will,  therefore  the  Son  of  God  also  gathers  his  church  according  to 
the  plan  of  eternal  election  :  "  The  church  was  chosen  for  h:m  to 
everlasting  life,"  that  he  might  gather  her  :  for  the  Father  who  chose 
the  church,  gave  her  to  the  Son  in  the  eternal  covenant  of  redemp- 
tion, that  he  might  reveal  his  Father's  name  to  her,  which  he  hath 
also  done,  as  he  himself  testifieth,  John  xvii.  6.  This  ejection  is 
God's  eternal  counsel,  by  which  he  decreed,  according  to  his  free 
good  pleasure,  to  favour  certain  persons  with  grace,  and  to  save  them 
by  Christ,  to  ihe  glory  of  his  wisdom,  goodness  and  power.  He  hath 
certainly  not  chosen  all  men,  upon  condition  of  their  faith  and  con- 
version, as  the  Remonstrants  imagine  ;  for  this  is  not  an  election, 
"Which  selects  some  from  among  others,  but  a  receiving ;  it  is  cer- 
tainly not  an  election  of  persons,  but  only  of  conditions  and  qualifica- 
tions. Eternal  election  respects  particular  persons,  who  are  singled 
out  as  it  were  byname,  in  preference  toothers,  Rev  ix.  13,  and 
"  written  in  the  book  of  life,"  Luke  x.  20.  Philip  iv.  3,  which  elected 
persons  are  not  the  most,  but  the  fewest  in  number;  yea,  fewer  than 
even  those  who  are  called.  Matt.  xx.  16.  xxii  14.  Luke  xii.  32. 
These  are  elected  in  preference  to  others,  not  on  account  of  their 


THIS  LlFEo         XXI.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  54—56.         427 

foreseen  faith  and  good  works,  as  the  Remonstrants  and  Jesuits  pre- 
tend ;  for  then  man  himself  would  "  make  himself  differ  from 
others,"  contrary  to  1  Cor.  iv.  7,  but  they  are  elected,  because  it 
was  the  free  good  pleasure  of  God  to  elect  them  ;  for  "  he  predes- 
tinated us  to  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus  Christ  to  himself,  ac- 
cording to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will,"  Eph.  i.  5.  Election  is  not 
from,  but  unto  faith  and  good  works,  which  flow  from  election,  as 
Paul  showeth,  Rom.  viii.  29,  30.  Eph.  i.  4.  And  it  is  for  this  reason, 
that  the  Son  of  God  gathers  the  elect  to  the  church,  for  "  as  many 
as  are  erdained  to  eternal  life,  beHeve,"  Acts  xiii.  48. 

5.  Since  now  it  hath  not  pleased  God  to  bring  all  men  into  the 
world  at  the  same  time,  but  at  different  periods,  therefore  Christ  also 
gathers  his  church  "  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  world." 
If  time  would  permit,  we  would  show  how  the  Son  of  God  gathered 
a  church  for  himseif  in  the  families  of  the  patriarchs  before,  during^, 
and  after  the  time  of  Moses,  before  he  came  in  the  flesh ;  how  he 
did  this,  while  he  was  on  earth  ;  how  after  his  ascension  into  heaven, 
from  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  what  he  will  yet  do,  m  order  to  gather 
his  church.  Every  person  who  attends  to  the  word  of  God,  and 
knows  that  Christ  is  the  Head,  the  Lord,  and  King  of  his  church, 
iinows  also  that  he  hath  never  been  without  members,  and  subjects, 
and  that  he  never  will,  nor  can  be  without  them. 

6.  This  is  still  more  evident,  because  he  protects  his  church.  The 
church  is  frequently  and  most  grievously  attacked  and  assaulted  by 
her  secret  and  open  enemies  ;  but  the  Son  -■  f  God  "  defends"  hep. 
See  this  Psalm  cxxxix.  1 — 4.  Rev.  xii.  1  — 11.  He  is  "  a  wall  of 
lire  to  her ;  he  who  toucheth  her  toucheth  the  apple  of  his  eye," 
Zech.  ii  5,  8.  And  he  also  keeps  and  *'  preserves"  her  so,  that  she 
will  remain  steadfast  until  the  end,  and  will  be  saved.  She  is  the 
bush  which  burns,  but  is  not  consumed  :  "  God  is  in  the  midst  of 
her ;  she  shall  not  be  moved,"  Psalm  xlvi.  5.  ^'  The  purpose  of  God 
according  to  election  shall  stand,"  Rom  ix.  1 1.  The  satisfaction  of 
the  Son  cannot  be  frustrated  :  "  God  forgives  the  sins"  of  those  who 
are  redeemed  by  Christ,  "  that  iie  may  declare  his  righteousness," 
Rom.  iii.  25,  26.  "  The  Spirit  abideth  for  ever"  with  the  church, 
John  xiv.  16.  "The  gifts  and  calling  of  God  are  without  repen- 
tance," Rom.  xi.  29.  "  Jesus  loveth  his  own  unto  the  end,"  John 
xiii.  1 ,  "He  gives  his  sheep  eternal  life,  and  they  shall  never 
perish,"  &c.  John  x.  28,  29.  "  The  covenant  of  grace,  all  the 
promises  of  that  covenant,  and  the  foundations  of  the  church  are 
immoveable,  Isaiah  liv.  8,  9,  10»  Matt,  xvi,  18.  Do  any  fall  awayj 
they  are  only  certain  particular  njembers,  or  churches  of  this  or  that 


42J>    THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD,  AND  HER  BENEFITS  IN 

place,  who  evidence  thus,  that  they  never  were  true  members  of  the 
oil  arch,  as  the  apostle  teacheth,  1  John  ii  19,  but  no  true  member 
of  the  cl.ui'ch  will  ever  fall  away, 'much  less  the  universal  church. 

2.  Having  thus  se^^n  what  t'se  church  is,  we  must  further  know 
how  we  are  to  believe  a  holy,  catholic,  Christian  church.  We  do 
not  beheve  in  the  church,  which  consists  of  men,  like  the  Romanists, 
who  trust  m  tlie  church  unreservedly  for  their  salvation  :  "  For  thus 
sauh  :he  Lord,  Cursed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and  maketh 
flesh  his  arm,"  John  xvii.  5.  But  we  believe  the  church,  which  we 
do,  (a)  when  we  assure  ourselves,  that  the  Son  of  God  gathers  such 
a  church  for  himself  on  earth,  and  when  we  earnestly  desire  to  join 
ourselves  to  her.  So  the  spouse  acted,  when  she  said.  Song  i.  7. 
"  Tell  me,  O  thou  whom  my  soul  loveth,  where  thou  feedest,  where 
thou  makest  thy  flock  to  rest  at  noon  ;  for  why  should  I  be  as  one 
that  lurneth  aside  by  the  flocks  of  thy  companions  ?"  (b)  When  we 
have  a  ceicain  knov/iedge  of  the  true  church  according  to  the  word 
of  God,  so  that  we  abide  not  in  the  true  church  from  prejudice,  or 
opinion,  but  from  a  discovery,  that  she  hath  the  approbation  of  the 
word  of  God.  Such  was  the  faith  of  Paul,  when  he  said,  Philip,  iii. 
3,  »'  ror  we  are  the  circumcision,  which  worship  God  in  the  spirit, 
^nd  rejoice  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  have  no  confidence  in  the  flesh." 
(c)  Wlien  we  btlieve  upon  good  and  incontrovertible  grounds,  agreea- 
bly to  the  word  of  God,  that  we  ourselves  are  living  members  of  the 
church,  and  will  always  remain  such.  This  was  the  faith  of  David, 
whew  he  said.  Psalm  xxiii.  5.  « I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord  for  ever." 

II.  We  had  so  much  to  say  on  our  first  head  ;  we  proceed  now 
to  the  second,  to  wit,  the  communion  of  saints.  Many  ancient  creeds 
did  not  contain  this  article,  because  the  communion  of  saints  consti- 
tutes the  essence  of  the  church,  and  belongs  thus  to  the  church  her- 
self. But  as  the  communion  is  now  mentioned  distinctly  in  every 
creed,  as  a  benefit  to  the  church,  we  will  also  explain  it,  as  a  distinct 
benefit.  The  Lord  God,  since  he  loves  his  church,  bestows  great 
benefits  upon  her,  and  particularly  these  four,  to  wit,  two  in  this  life, 
the  communion  of  saints,  and  the  forgiveness  of  sins ;  and  two  after 
this  life,  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and  life  everlasting.  Of  the 
two  last  the  instructor  speaks  in  the  following  Lord's  day.  The 
first  of  the  benefits,  which  God  bestows  upon  his  church  in  this  life, 
is  the  communion  of  saints. 

Although  the  saints,  to  wit,  the  souls  of  the  blessed  and  the  angels, 
have  a  communion  with  one  another  in  heaven,  and  even  the  saints 
upon  earth  have  also  communion  with  those  in  heaven  ;  for  Paul 


THIS  LIFE.        XXr.  LORDS  DAY.  Q.  54—56.      42* 

saith,  Heb.  xii.  22,  23,  that  believers  "  are  come  to  an  innumerable 
company  of  angels,  and  to  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect;** 
nevertheless  the  creed  speaks  of  the  saints  upon  earth,  who  are  mem- 
bers  of  the  church  militant ;  who  are  saints,  because  they  are  mem,- 
bers  of  the  holy  church. 

These  saints  have  a  communion  with  Christ,  and  with  one  another. 

1  The  saints  have  a  communion  with  Christ.  We  believe,  as  the 
instructor  explains  it,  "  that  all  and  every  one  who  believes,  being 
members  of  Christ,  are  in  comnjon  partakers  of  him,  and  of  all  hia 
riches  and  gifts."  For  Christ  is  a  publick  person,  the  Head,  the 
Lord,  the  Surety  and  Redeemer  of  his  people,  who  is  whatever  he  is 
for  his  people :  which  communion  imports,  (a)  the  strictest  tinion  cf 
believers  with  Christ,  l«ke  that  of  a  building  with  its  foundation  and 
corner  stone :  "  Upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church,"  saith  he, 
Matt.  xvi.  18  ;  like  the  union  of  inhabitants  with  their  house  ;  they 
dwell  in  him,  he  is  an  "  everlasting  habitation"  to  them,  Deut.  xxxiii. 
27,  "  a  sanctuary,"  Isaiah  viii.  14,  and  "  he  dwells  in  them,"  Eph. 
iii.  17.  They  are  "  the  house"  of  the  Son  of  God,  Heb  iii.  6.  Yea, 
they  are  united  to  him,  as  the  graff  is  to  the  stock,  John  xv.  4,  5, 
Rom.  xi.  17,  the  wife  to  the  husband,  Eph  v.  32.  Isaic^h  liv.  5,  the 
members  to  the  head.  Coll.  i.  18,  and  the  body  to  the  garments, 
Gal.  iii.  17.  (b)  This  communion  consisteth  also  in  that  special  pro- 
perty which  believers  have  in  Christ,  and  in  all  his  benefits.  He 
hath  appropriated  them  and  all  theirs  to  himself;  "  Ye  know,"  said 
Paul,  2  Cor.  viii.  9,  "  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  though 
he  was  rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  ye  through  his 
poverty  might  become  rich."  And  thus  he,  and  all  that  is  his,  be- 
comes their  property.  The  believer  saith,  "  My  beloved  is  mine, 
and  I  am  his,"  Song  ii.  16.  Believers  being  "  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus, 
he  is  therefore  made  to  them  of  God  wisdom,  righteousness?  sancti- 
fication  and  redemption,"  1  Cor.  i.  30. 

2.  By  this  communion  with  Christ  believers  have  also  com.munion 
with  one  another  :  "  Ye  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus,"  saith  the  apos- 
tle, Gal.  iii.  28.  This  communion  of  the  saints  consists  also,  (a)  in 
that  most  intimate  union,  whereby  "they  are  all  of  one  heart,  and 
one  soul,"  Acts  iv.  32.  They  all  possess  the  same  gnice,  Jer.  xxxii. 
39.  "  They  are  likeminded,  having  the  same  love,  being  of  one 
accord,  of  one  mind,"  Philip,  ii.  2.  Yea,  "  they  speak  the  snme 
thing,"  I  Cor.  i.  10.  They  have  all  the  same  religion,  the  same 
property,  the  same  enemies  and  friends ;  therefore  they  cleave  to 
one  another,  as  Ruth  cleaved  to  Naomi,  when  she  said,  "  Wliither 
thou  goest,  I  will  go ;  and  where  thou  lodgest,  I  will  lodge :  thy 


430    THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD,  AND  HER  BENEFITS  IN 

people  shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God  my  God,"  Ruth  i.  16.   The 
world  knows  nothing  of  this,  and  therefore  wonders  at  it,  "  dares  not 
join   herself  to  these  persons;  but  magnifies  them,"  Acts  v.  13. 
Yea,  the  world,  cannot  oppose   them,  without  first  putting  out  her 
own  eyes.    To  express  this  strict  union  of  the  saints,  they  are  liken- 
ed to  the  compact  stones  of  Solomon's  temple,  1  Peter  ii.  5.     They 
are  like  citizens  of  one  city,  mhabitants  of  one  house,  Eph.  \\.  19, 
table-fellows,  who  ear  of  the  same  bread,  1  Cor.  x.  17,  and  members 
of  one  body, ''being  reconciled   in  one  body."  Eph.  ii.  16.     This 
communion  consists  also,  (b)  m  a  mutual  property,  and  a  consequent 
actual  exercise  of  fellowship  one  v/ith  another,   by  viitue  of  that 
iinion ;  just  as  one  member  of  the  body  hath  a  property  in  the  other 
members,  and  exerciseth   fellows!  ip  with   them.     So  Paul  speaks, 
Eph.  iv.  25.     <*  We  are  members  one  of  another."  Pie  explains  this 
beautifully  by  a  representation  of  that  mutual  service  and  help,  which 
one  member  affords  to  another,   I  Cor.  xii.   14-^27.     And  this  mu- 
tual property  and  exercise  of  fellowship  is  manifested  by  asking  con- 
cerning each   others  welfare,  and  by  a    fellowfeeling  for    each  other 
in  difficullies.  See  Neh.  i.  2 — 10.  Heb.  xiii.  3.     Therefore  ihey  are 
forthwith  ready  to  contribute  whatever  they  can  to  assist  each  other, 
either  by  supporting  dejected  souls  with  good  comfortable  words,  or 
by  communicating  their  goods  to  the  necessitous,  in  which  the  primi^ 
tive  church  of  Jerusalem  greatly  excelled,  although  they  have  not  a 
general  community  of  goods  ;  or  by  doing  every  kind  office  to  each 
other.     Do  they  understand  that  the  saints   prosper,  they  "  rejoice 
witii  them   that  rejoice,   as  they  weep  with  them  who  weep."     See 
all  this,  Rom.  xii.  4 — 10,  13,  14.  15.     Yea,  they  exercise  this  com- 
munion not  only  in  private,  but  also  in  publick,  and  they  show  with 
whom  they  hold.     They  conduct  in  this  manner  with  respect  to  the 
publick  administration  of  the  word  and  sacraments,  1  Cor.  x.  15,  17, 
the  assembling  of  themselves  together,  Heb.  x.  25,  and  their  familiar 
conversation  with  the  saints,   though  they  be  ever  so  mean,   with 
David,  2  Sam.  vi.  20,   21,  22.     He  was  "  a  companion  of  all  them 
who  feared  the  Lord,"  Psalm  cxix.  63. 

III.  We  should  now  proceed  to  our  third  general  head,  to  wit,  the 
faith  of  Christians  concerning  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  as  the  second 
benefit,  which  God  bestoweth  upon  his  church  in  this  life  :  but  since 
we  must  treat  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins  in  order,  on  the  twenty  third, 
twenty  fourth  and  fifty  first  Lord's  day,  we  will  omit  this  at  present. 


THIS  LIFE.         XXI.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  54— 56,      4Si 

APPLICATION. 

In  order  that  we  may  now  improve  all  these  particulars  to  ouB  ad- 
-vantage,  we  will  exhibit  this  church  in  its  lustre.  Let  every  one 
"  walk  about  Zion,  and  go  round  about  her :  let  him  tr-U  the  towers 
thereof ;  let  him  mark  well  her  bulwarks,  and  consider  her  palaces, 
thatVe  may  tell  it  to  the  generation  following,"  as  we  are  exhorted, 
Psalm  xlviii.  12,  13.  "  Glorious  things  are  spoken  of  the  city  of  God,'*" 
Psalm  Ixxxvii.  3.  The  members  of  the  church  are  "the  saints  of 
the  Most  High,  who  si.all  take  the  kingdom,  and  possess  the  king- 
dom for  ever,  even  for  ever  and  ever,"  Dan.  vii.  18.  The  Head  of 
the  church  is  most  precious,  view  him  from  his  head  to  his  feet,  as 
described  with  respect  to  his  wonderful  excellency  by  her  who  knew 
him  best  and  experimentally^  Song  v.  10 — 16.  The  union  and  com- 
munion of  the  church  with  him,  and  of  the  members  with  each  other 
is  inconceivable  :  "  They  are  all  one,  as  the  Father  in  the  bon,  and 
the  Son  in  the  Father  are  one  :  yea,  they  are  one  in  the  Father,  and 
in  the  Son."  See  John  xvii  21.  1  John  i.  3.  The  means  by  which 
they  have  become  a  church  are  indeed  excellent ;  for  they  have  by 
them  become  *'  a  chosen  generation,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  na- 
tion, a  peculiar  people,"  1  Peter  ii.  9.  And  truly  the  state  of  the 
church  is  unchangeable,  she  is  "  like  mount  Zion,  which  cannot  be 
removed,  but  abideth  for  ever,"  Psalm  cxxv.  1.  Who,  when  he 
beholds  her,  must  not  cry  out  with  Moses,  Deut.  xxxiii.  29.  «  Hap- 
py art  thou,  O  Israel ;  who  is  like  unto  thee,  O  people  saved  by  the 
Lord,  the  shield  of  thy  help,  and  who  is  the  sword  of  thy  excellency  I 
and  thine  enemies  shall  be  found  liars  unto  thee,  and  thou  shalt 
tread  upon  their  high  places." 

But  what  will  it  avail  us,  that  there  is  such  a  glorious  church,  if 
we  know  not  where  that  church  is  ?  There  are  many  assemblies, 
which  severally  pretend  to  be  the  true  church,  and  there  is  never- 
theless but  one  true  church,  which  God  will  save.  It  is  therefore 
necessary,  that  we  inquire  which  is  the  true  church.  The  Socini- 
ans,  as  if  self-condemned,  will  not  brook  this  ;  but  the  spouse  was 
wiser,  v/hen  she  inquired  of  her  bridegroom  concrning  the  true 
church.  Song  i.  7.  \Ve  must  join  ourselves  to  the  church,  as  it  was 
foretold  of  the  Gentiles,  that  they  should  do  this,  Isaiah  ii.  2,  3.  xi. 
10.  Zech.  viii.  23.  Indeed  neither  grace  nor  salvation  are  to  be 
found  out  of  the  true  church  :  "  For  there  the  Lord  commandeth 
the  blessing,  even  life  for  evermore,"  Psalm  cxxxiii.  3.  "  But  the 
rebellious  dwell  in  a  dry  land/'  Psalm  Ixviii,  6. 


4.Z2    THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD,  AND  HER  BENEFITS  IN 

That  we  may  have  a  propsr  knowledge  of  the  true  church,  God 
fcath  proposed  a  ceriam  mark,  or  marks  in  his  word,  by.  which  wc  - 
may  know  her.  I  will  not  busy  myself  with  the  marks  of  others, 
and  certainly  not  v.iih  tlie  fifteen  or  sixteen  marks  of  the  Romanists, 
wnich  are  either  derived  from  circumstances,  or  suit  our  church,  and. 
not  the  Romish,  and  those  which  agree  to  the  Romish  are  heathen 
and  Antichristian  marks.  But  we  will  attend  to  that  mark,  which 
the  word  of  God,  the  only  rule  of  the  church,  affords  us.  And  this 
mark  is  the  agreement  of  the  doctrine  with  the  word  of  God ;  for 
"*he  wiiO  is  of  God  heareth  the  words  of  God,"  John  viii.  47.  "  Christ's 
sheep  hear  his  voice,"  John  x.  26,  27.  The  church  is  built  on  the 
v.ord  of  God,  Eph.  ii.  19,  20.  "  We  must  try  the  spirits  thereby, 
whether  they  are  of  God,"  1  John  iv.  1,  2,  3.  *'  If  any  man  bring 
not  this  doctrine  with  him,  we  must  not  receive  him  into  our  house," 
2  John  vrs.  9,  10. 

If  we  now  compare  the  doctrine  of  our  church  with  the  word  of 
God,  we  will  perceive  with  the  utmost  evidence,  that  she  agreeth 
perfectly  v/ith  the  word  of  God,  and  that  therefore  the  Reformed  * 
alone  are  the  true  church  ;  which  appears  still  more,  since  we  sub- 
mit our  doctrine  to  the  word  of  God  only,  and  in  conformity  thereto, 
humble  the  sinner  to  the  lowest  degree,  comfort,  sanctify  him,  and 
glorify  the  free  grace  of  God.  We  know  indeed  that  all  other 
churches,  so  called,  do  also  claim  .this  mark,  as  well  as  we,  but  we 
will  find  them  to  be  liars  ;  for  they  do  all  reproach  the  word  of  God, 
and  wrest  it,  either  according  to  natural  reason,  as  all  Pelagians  and 
Semipelagians  do,  or  according  to  enthusiasm,  as  the  Quakers  do, 
or  according  to  lordship,  with  the  Papists.  How  then  can  they  boast, 
that  they  have  the  pure  doctrine,  according  to  the  word  of  God,  and 
£0  that  they  are  the  true  church  ?  yea,  they  decline  this  mark,  and 
will  either  have  no  marks  at  all,  or  others.  Therefore  it  is  evident, 
that  the  true  church  is  found  with  us. 

But,  hearers,  it  will  not  suffice  either  you  or  mc,  to  know  that  we 
are  in  the  true  church  ;  for  we  may  notwithstanding  be  still  chaff, 
and  vessels  of  dishonour.  They  who  believe  one  holy,  catholic, 
Christian  church,  say  also  that  they  are  living  members  of  the  church, 
and  will  always  remain  such  :  is  this  so  with  you  in  truth  ?  do  ye 

.^ay,  yea  ?  have   ye  then  also  true  and  living  evidences  ?  do  ye  ask, 

*  V>y  the  Reformed  our  author  understands  here  the  Protestants,  to  wit,  the 
Lutherans  and  Calvinists,  as  distinguished  into  several  rational  churches,  or 
ecclesiastic?!  communities,  as  the  church  of  Holland,  of  England,  of  Scot- 
land, of  Sweden,  Denmark,  Sec  and  also  such  other  denominations  a»  agree 
■with  these  in  funddmcntals.     See  the  Author's  preface, 


THIS  LIFE.        XXI.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  54—56.        435 

what  are  the  marks  of  a  living  member  ?  we  will  exhibit  them  to 
^ou  according  to  the  word  of  God. 

1.  He  who  is  a  living  member  is  such  not  only  outwardly  by  pro^ 
fession,  but  also  inwardly,  being  changed  and  quickened  by  the  Spirit 
«f  God,  to  ssrve  God  inwardly^  truly  and  heariily  in  the  Spirit  :  he 
is  not  satisfied  with  his  outward  service,  unless  it  be  accompanied 
with  a  heart  that  hath  been  clianged,  that  is  alive,  warm  and  active  ; 
therefore  he  attends  to  the  motions  of  his  heart,  bemourns  his  heart- 
iessness,  and  excites  his  soul,  and  cries  to  the  Lord,  "  Unite  my 
heart  to  fear  thy  name,"  Psalm  Ixxxvi.  11.  "  Incline  my  heart  to 
thy  testimonies,"  Psalm  cxix.  36.  That  this  is  a  true  mark  appears 
from  Rom.  ii.  28,  29.  "  He  is  not  a  Jew,  which  is  one  outwardly, 
neither  is  that  circumcision,  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh  ;  but  he 
is  a  Jew,  which  is  one  inwardly ;  and  circumcision  is  that  of  the 
heart,  in  the  spirit,  &c. 

2.  Such  a  person  is  united  to  the  Head,  even  to  Christ,  truly,  and 
hath  communion  with  him,  hath  received  him  by  faith  truly,  heartily, 
and  in  opposition  to  all  besides,  and  affords  him  a  dwelling  in  his 
heart.  We  see  this  John  i.  12.  Eph.  iii,  17.  See  this  treated  more 
largely  in  our  discourse  on  the  seventh  Lord's  day. 

3.  Such  a  person  agrees  also  with  the  true  members  of  the  church ; 
he  knows,  he  loves  them,  and  is  familiar  with  them,  and  regards 
their  profit  and  disprofit  as  his  own,  because  he  sees  the  life,  the 
love  and  image  of  God  in  them  :  and  the  more  these  things  shine 
forth  in  them,  the  more  he  lovts  them  ;  yea,  even  when  they  oppose 
and  smite  him  :  "  Let  the  righteous  smite  me,"  said  that  living 
member  of  the  church.  Psalm  cxli.  5,  "  it  shall  be  a  kindness ;  and 
let  him  reprove  me,  it  shall  be  an  excellent  oil  which  shall  not  break 
xny  head  :  for  yet  my  prayer  also  shall  be  in  their  calamities."  As 
he  also  exhibits  this  as  a  mark  of  a  citizen  of  Zion,  when  he  saith. 
Psalm  XV.  4.  "  In  whose  eyes  a  vile  person  is  contemned  ;  but  he 
honoureth  them  that  fear  the  Lord." 

See  now  whether  ye  are  living  members.  Alas !  how  many 
"  have  the  name  that  they  live,  while  they  are  dead,"  as  many  in  the 
church  of  Sardis  were.  Rev.  iii.  1,     For, 

1 .  Many  are  misshapen  members,  who  are  monsters  in  the  church, 
and  deform  her  exceedingly  :  is  it  not  thus  with  you,  who  are  igno- 
rant, irreligious,  violators  of  God's  name  and  day — revengeful,  lewd, 
unjust,  gluttons,  drunkards,  vain,  worldly  and  earthly  minded.  The 
Lord  may  indeed  complain  now,  as  he  did  formcily,  Jer.  v.  26^ 
*^  Among  my  people  arc  found  wicked  men." 

i-^  How  many  hgrt.f*^]   members  are  there  in   this  body   of  the 

3  L 


^^4     THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD,  AND  HER  BENEFITS  IN 

church  !  Alas,  that  they  were  cutoff!  no  profit  accrues  from  them 
to  the  church,  but  only  disprofit ;  certainly  ye  arc  hurtful  to  the 
brethren,  who  hanker  so  after  new  and  unheard  of  things,  which 
-lire  contrary  to  the  word  of  God,  and  utter  those  things  :  ye  also 
who  oppose  ihe  com  amnion  of  saints,  and  strict  and  precise  godli- 
ness, who  betray  the  church  and  her  privileges  to  unfit  persons, 
and  who  abandon  and  tramj^le  upon  them,  he  who  hath  eyes  may 
see  that  now  also  '•  truth  failcth  "  with  many,  aud  that  "  he  who  de- 
parieth  from  evil  maketh  himself  a  prey,"  Isaiah  lix.  15. 

3.  There  are  some,  who  only  seem  to  be  living  members.  They 
are  devout,  and  have  some  knowledge  of  the  mysieiies  of  God,  they 
are  outwardly  moral,  yea,  they  associate  with  the  godly  ;  but  their 
heart  within  is  dead  and  rotten,  and  in  secret  they  are  as  vile  as  the 
■vilest,  I.S  the  Saviour  describes  the  Pharisees,  saying  also  of  them, 
that  they  "  cannot  escape  the  damnation  of  hell,"  Matt,  xxiii.  25, 
27,  S3,  It  is  true,  they  conduct  so  that  they  escape  censure  ;  but 
are  not  ye  they  who  will  not  be  delected  ?  Ye  hate  them  who  detect 
you  :  when  ye  can  only  find  an  opportunity,  and  will  not  expose 
yourselves  too  much,  ye  will  reproach  them,  and  will  strive  to  ren- 
der them  universally  odious.  Conceal  yourselves  as  much  and  as 
long  as  ye  please,  God  will  oae  day  hereafter  detect  you,  as  he  dis- 
covered Judas. 

4.  Others  are  rotten  members,  who  have  fallen  from  the  truth, 
and  godliness  which  they  once  professed.  How  zealous  were  some 
for  the  truth  and  godliness  I  they  could  relish  these  things,  they  asso- 
ciated with  the  strictest  of  the  pious,  who  were  pleased  with  them, 
and  loved  them  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  novelty  was  over,  they  abandoned 
all,  and  fell  away  ;  if  they  do  not  join  themselves  to  some  apostate 
church,  they  abandon  themselves  to  the  world,  which,  like  Demas^ 
they  begin  to  love  again,  2  Tim.  iv.  10.  See  these  also  detected, 
2  Peter  ii.  20 — 22.  Ye  who  are  thus,  may  be  acknowledged  mem- 
bers, but  ye  are  not  such  in  reality,  any  more  than  those  who  "  said 
they  were  Jews,  but  were  found  liars,"  Rev.  iii.  9.  Flatter  your- 
selves as  much  as  ye  please,  ye  have  nevertheless  "  no  portion,  nor 
right,  nor  memorial  in  Jerusalem,"  Neh.  iii.  20.  Ye  shall  neither 
in  this  life,  nor  after  this  life  "  stand  in  the  congregation  of  the 
rigliteous,"   Psalm  i.  5. 

Doth  this  render  you  concemed,ahd  do  ye  desire  to  become  living 
members  of  the  church,  and  to  know  how  ye  may  become  such  ? 
Uehold,  this  is  the  way  : 

1.  Endeavour  to  become  assured  that  our  church  is  the  true 
church,  according  to  the  word  of  God,  that  it  may  be  your  steadfast 


THIS  LIFE,      XXI.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  54—56.        435 

pel  suasion,  that  with  us  alone  the  salvation  of  the  sinner  is  proposed. 
Let  it  not  suffice  you,  that  your  parents  have  told  you  tl  is,  and  that 
ye  were  educated  to  it ;  but  endea\our  to  obtain  a  proof  of  it  your 
ownselves  from  the  word  of  God  ;  and  do  therefore  like  *'  the  nobl^ 
Bereans,  who  received  the  word  with  all  readiness  of  miud,  and 
searched  the  scriptures  daily,  whether  those  things  were  so,"  Acts 
xvii.  11. 

2.  Separate  yourselves  from  your  former  companions,  as  far  as 
they  have  tended  to  mislead  you,  or  may  yet  do  it  :  Wherefore 
come  out  from  among  them,  and  be  ye  separate,  and  touch  not  the 
unclean  thing ;  and  I  will  receive  you,  and  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and 
daughters,  saith  the  Lord  Almitjhty,"  2  Cor.  vi.  17,  18. 

3.  Join  yourselves  to  the  saints,  who  are  upon  the  earth,  in  order 
to  seek  their  portion,  and  to  be  directed  and  conducted  by  them  to  the 
privileges  of  the  church,  as  it  was  foretold,  that  "  ten  men  out  of  alj 
the  languages  of  the  nations  should  take  hold,  should  even  take  hold 
of  the  skirl  of  him  who  was  a  Jew,  saying.  We  will  go  with  you  ; 
for  we  have  heard  tliat  God  is  with  you,"  Zech.  viii.  23 

4.  Remain  not  by  any  means  estranged  from  the  Head  of  the 
church,  but  endeavour  to  be  united  to  him,  to  receive  him,  and  to 
join  yourselves  unto  him  ;  for  "  the  Lord  will  give  unto  tlie  stran- 
gers who  join  tliemselves  unto  him,  within  his  house,  and  within  his 
walls,  a  name  better  than  that  of  sons  and  of  daughters,"  Sec.  Isaiah 
Ivi.  3—7. 

5.  But  ye,  v;ho  are  true  and  living  members  of  the  church  of 
God,  maintain  diligently  the  communion  of  the  saints  :  it  is  cer- 
tainly your  privilege,  and  the  glory  of  the  church  ;  therefore  endeav- 
our to  converse  familiarly  with  the  Head  of  the  church,  and  like 
«  Enoch,  to  walk  with  God,"  Gen.  v.  22,  24.  "  Your  life  must  be 
liidden  wiih  Christ  in  God."  Coll.  iii.  3,  nevertheless  in  aiming  at 
this,  do  not  wholly  separate  yourselves  from  the  saints,  to  which  we 
easily  decline,  that  we  may  converse  and  be  satisfied  in  our  solitary 
life  with  the  Lord  alone.  No,  the  Lord  hath  called  you  for  your 
happiness  to  his  church,  and  lo  the  communion  of  saints  :  the  first 
Christians  continued  in  the  doctrine  of  the  apostles,  and  in  fellow- 
ship, and  in  breaking  of  bread,  and  in  prayers,"  Acts  ii.  42.  But 
we  must  carefully  beware  that  our  conversation  with  the  saints  do 
not  degenerate  into  a  mere  civil  intercourse ;  we  must  converse  one 
way  vnth  men  as  citizens,  and  another  way,  as  saints,  whose  citi- 
zenship is  in  heaven  ;  but  avoid  particulaily  strife  and  imperious- 
ness,  let  others  see  in  you  that  y«  are  of  one  heart,  lowly,  "  like- 
minded,  having  the  same  love,  being  of  one  accord,  of  one  mind. 


436  THE  CHURCH  OF  GOD,  AND  HER  BENEFITS,  Sec, 

Let  nothing  be  done  through  strife  or  vain  glory,  but  in  lowliness 
of  mind,  let  each  esteem  others  better  than  themselves.  Look  not 
every  man  on  his  own  things,  but  every  man  also  on  the  things  of 
others."  This  Paul  required,  Philip,  ii,  2,  3,  4.  Doth  the  church 
appear  to  you  to  be  exceedingly  corrupt,  do  not  separate  yourselves 
from  her,  as  long  as  the  truth  and  the  godly  are  in  her,  and  as  long 
as  the  Lord  hath  not  separated  himself  from  her.  Of  this  we  wili 
speak  further  on  the  eighty  second  question. 

6.  Let  every  one  promote  the  prosperity  of  the  church,  according 
to  liis  condition  and  ability.  Let  magistrates,  if  they  will  be  living 
members  of  the  church,  manifest  themselves  nursing  fathers  of  her, 
cherishing  her,  as  it  was  foretold  of  them,  Isaiah  xlix.  23.  But  ye, 
who  have  been  set  as  watchmen  upon  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  "  be 
diligent  to  know  the  state  of  your  flocks,  look  well  to  your  herds,'* 
Prov.  xxvii,  23.  See  what  that  great  -apostle  enjoins  upon  you, 
Acts  XX.  28.  Therefore  "  ye  that  make  mention  of  the  Lord,  keep 
not  silence,  and  give  him  no  rest,  till  he  estabUsh,  and  till  he  make 
Jerusalem  a  praise  in  the  earth,"  Isaiah  Ixii,  6,  7.  Yea,  "every 
one  should  pray  for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem,"  Psalm  cxxii.  6,  "  should 
warn  them  who  are  unruly,  should  comfort  the  feeble  minded,  sup- 
port the  weak,  be  patient  toward  all  men,"  1  Thess.  v.  14.  Yea, 
even  women  and  maidens,  though  they  ought  to  be  silent  in  the 
church,  should  do  what  in  them  lies,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  for 
the  good  of  the  church  ;  as  "  the  daughters  of  Shallum  repaired  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem,"  Neh.  iii.  12.  See  also  Philip,  iv.  3. 

7.  Manifest  yourselves,  ye  living  members  of  the  church,  visible 
by  a  bright  and  holy  conversation,  that  ye  may  be  blameless  and 
harmless,  the  sons  of  God,  without  rebuke  in  the  midst  of  a  crook- 
ed and  perverse  nation,  among  whom  ye  shine  as  lights  in  the 
world,"  Phihp.  ii.  15.  Your  Head  also  requires  this  of  you.  Matt. 
V.    16, 

8.  If  it  should  happen,  that  the  church  should  be  compelled  to 
flee,  upon  account  of  grievous  tribulation,  do  ye  then  always  flee 
whither  the  saints  fiee :  "  Go  thy  way  forth  by  the  footsteps  of  the 
^ock,  and  feed  thy  kids  beside  the  shepherds'  tents,"  Song  i.  8. 

Thus  ye  v.  ill  not  only  be  happy  here,  but  will  also  be  once  trans- 
lated into  the  church  triumphant,  since  ye  will  say  in  due  time  with 
Paul,  2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8.  "  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished 
my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith.  Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for 
me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord  the  righteous  Judge 
phall  give  me  at  that  day  :  and  not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all  thenj 
ttlso  that  love  his  appearing."  Amen, 


.^^,.f.,,    -  ,  w*^^,.      ^  437  ) 


THE 


BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH 


AFTER  THIS  LIFE. 


XXII.  LORD'S  DAY. 


Psalm  xvii.  15.    As  for  me,  I  will  behold  thy  face  in  righteousness, 
I  will  be  satisfied,  when  I  awake,  with  thy  likeness. 

Q.  57.    IV/iat  comfort  doth  the  resurrection  of  the  body  afford  thee  ? 

A.  That  not  only  my  soul  after  this  life  shall  be  immediately 
taken  up  to  Christ  its  Head  ;  but  also  that  this  my  body,  be-ing  rais- 
ed by  the  power  of  Christ,  shall  be  re-united  with  my  soul,  and  made 
like  unto  the  glorious  body  of  Christ. 

Q.  58.  Wliat  comfort  takest  thou  from  the  article  of  "  life  everlast- 
ing ? 

A.  That  since  I  now  feel  in  my  heart  the  beginning  of  eternal  ' 
joy ;  after  tl.is  life,  I  shall  inherit  perfect  salvation,  which  "  eye  hath 
not  seen,   nor  ear  heard,   neither  hath  it  entered   into  the  heart  of 
man,"  to  conceive  1  and  that,  to  praise  God  therein  for  ever. 

<(  r~r^ 

JL  HE  gifts  and  catling  of  God  are  witliout  repentance,"  saith 
Paul,  Rom.  xi.  29.    *<  It  repented  the  Lord  that  he  had  made  man 


438         THE  BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AFTER 

on  the  earth,"  Gen.  vi.  6.     This  doth  not  betoken  that  God,  pro- 
perly speaking,  is  capable  of  repeniing  ;  he  is  indeed  perfectly  wise, 
simple,  blesied,   and  unchanf^eable  ;  but  it  means  that   God  would 
maiiiiest  his  ci'spkasure  by  destroying   his  work,  even  man.     But 
^'  his  i^ifts  of  grace,  and  his  callinj^  are  without  repentance:"  these 
he  doth  not  change,  nor  take  away  ;  for  he  hath  said  to  his  people, 
Isaiah  liv   9.     "  The  mountains  shall  depart,  and  the  hilh  shall  be 
removed,  but  my  kindness  shall  not  depart  from  thee,  neith<rr  shall 
the  covenant  of  my  peace  be  removed."     iiis  everlasting  counsel  of 
grace,  from  which  his  gifs  of  grace  and   his  calling  aie  communi- 
cated  is  unchangeable,  and  he  hath  confirmed  his  promises  with  an 
oath  by  himself,  Heb.  vi.  17.     The  covenant  of  grace  is,   as  it  were, 
an  unchangeable  testament,  rendered  irrevocable  by  the  death  of  the 
testator  Christ,  as  the  apostle  teacheth,  Heb.  ix.  16,  17.     Yea,  the 
Spirit,  v/ho  is  the  seal  and  pledge  of  the  heirs,  «  abides  with  them 
for  ever,"  John  xiv.  16.     Therefore  the  favourites  of  God,  making 
their  boast  in  the  Lord,  on  account  of  his  everlasting  kindness,  say 
Psalm  xlviii.  14.     *'  This   God  is  our  God  ;  he   will  be   our  guide 
even  unto  death."     Even  dec\th  itself  doth  not  interrupt  his  kindness 
to  them  ;  for  "  the  Spirit  pronounceth  those  blessed  who  die  in  the 
Lord,"  Rev.  xiv.  13.     And  though  their  bodies  dwell   in  the  dust 
and  in  silence,  the  Lord   doth  not  however  v/ithdraw  his  good  hand 
from   them,  but  he   will  raise  up  their  bodies,   as  the  bodies  of  his 
saints,  and  satisfy  them   with  the  fulness  of  his  salvation.     David^ 
trusting  in  this,  saith  in  the  text,  "I  will  behold  thy  face  in  right-^ 
eousness,  I  will  be  satisfied  when  I  awake,  with  thy  likeness."    This 
the  instructor  also  teacheth  us  in  this  Lord's  day. 

The  instructor  having  spoken   in  the  former  Lord's  day  of  the 
benefits  and  the  giftb  of  grace,  which  God  bestows  upon  his  church 
in  this  life,  shovvs  now  that  they  are  without  repentance,  since  they 
are  not  taken  away  in  death,  but  are  followed  by  those  great  benefits^ 
which  the  Lord  wilr  communicate  to  his  church  after  this  life. 
These  benefits  aie  two  : 
J.  The  resurrection  of  the  body,  Q.  57. 
11.  Life  everlasting,  Q.  58. 

J.  The  first  of  these  two  benefits  is  the  resurrection  of  the  body. 
It  is  therefore  evident,  that  the  instructor  doth  not  speak  here  of  a 
civil  resurrection,  by  which  we  are  raised  up  from  some  bodily  afRic- 
lion,  which  is  also  called  a  resurrection,  and  a  rising,  Hosea  vi-  1,  2, 
and  which  is  represented  by  a  resurrection  of  the  body,  Ezek.  xxxvii. 
1  —  U.  Neither  doth  he  make  mention  here  of  a  spiritual  resurrec- 
tion by  regeneration  and  conversion,  of  which  the  apostle  speaks, 


THIS  LIFE.        XXII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  57,  58.       435 

Eph.  V.  14,  but  of  a  resurrection  of  the  body,  after  it  hath  fallen  by 
death.  "With  respect  to  this  reiurrtction  it  h  shown  in  the  fifty 
seventh  question,  1.  What  becomes  of  the  soul,  after  its  separation 
from  the  body  by  death ;  "  That  my  soul  after  this  life  shall  be  im- 
mediately taken  up  to  Christ  its  Head."  2.  What  shall  become  of 
the  dead  body  :  "  That  this  my  body,  being  raised  by  the  power  of 
Christ,"  &c. 

When  the  instructor  saith,  *'  that  my  soul  shall  be  immediately 
taken  up  to  Christ  its  Head,"  he  then  supposeth  not  only  that  man, 
yea,  that  the  believer  also  shall  die  ;  for  "  it  is  appointed  to  men 
once  to  die,"  Htb.  ix.  27,  but  also  that  the  body  alone  dies,  and  not 
the  soul,  which  departs  from  the  body  ;  for  the  sorl  is  immortal. 
The  word  of  God  teacheth  us  this,  Eccl.  xii.  7.  "  The  dust  shall 
return  to  the  earth  as  it  was ;  and  the  spirit  shall  return  unto  God 
who  gave  it."  See  also  what  the  Saviour  saith.  Matt.  x.  28.  But 
reason  also  teacheth  us  that  the  soul  is  immortal ;  for  the  soul  is 
a  spirit,  an  active  substance,  having  in  itself  a  principle,  and  a  nat- 
ural ability  to  act  from  itself,  and  to  determine  itself  by  its  own  free 
choice  and  willingly  to  this  or  that  action  ;  which  cannot  happen  in 
aug^it  that  is  material  and  bodily,  for  that  must  be  itioved  by  some- 
thing without  itself.  From  which  it  therefore  follows,  that  the  soul 
is  wholly  i  umaterial,  and  so  that  it  cannot  be  dissolved,  and  there- 
fore cannot  die.  Add  to  this,  that  the  soul  hath  an  innate  desire  to 
immortality,  which  cannot  be  to  no  purpose.  Solomon  saith  indeed 
that  "  a  man  hath  no  pre-eminence  above  a  beast"  in  his  death,  Eccl. 
iii-  18,  19,  20,  but  he  speaks  then  of  the  outward  appearance,  ac- 
cording to  which  "  none  perceives  that  the  spirit  of  the  sons  of  men 
goeth  upward,  and  that  the  spirit  of  the  beast  goeth  downward  to 
the  earth,"  as  he  speaks  in  the  twenty  first  verse,  supposing  that  the 
spirit  of  men,  that  is,  their  soul,  goeth  to  God  ;  which  is  so  much 
the  more  evident,  when  we  observe  that  he  had  taught  in  the  seven- 
teenth verse,  that  "  God  will  judge  the  righteous  and  the  wicked." 
See  this  opinion  of  his  also,  Eccl.  xi.  9.  xii.  14.  We  might  also  say 
that  Solomon  recites,  Eccl.  iii  18 — 22,  only  the  language  of  Athe- 
ists, who  deny  the  immortality  of  the  soul :  yea,  it  deserves  our  con- 
sideration, whether  the  ecclesiastes  of  Solomon  be  not  a  dialogue,  in 
which  one  while  Solomon  speaks,  and  then  also  a  siily  youth,  whom 
he  introduceth  speaking,  and  who  looks  upon  sensual  pleasure  as 
the  chief  good,  and  thus  denies  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  in  oppo- 
sition to  what  Solomon  had  taught  him  in  the  seventeenth  verse  In 
what  light  soever  we  view  this  text,  wc  will  see  that  it  doth  not  op- 
pose the  immortality  of  the  souK 


440         THE  BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AFTER 

From  what  hath  been  said  we  may  certainly  conclude,  that  the 
soul  exists,  and  is  active  after  its  separation  from  the  dead  body,  and 
that  it  is  not  without  joy  or  sorrow,  and  that  it  doth  not  sleep  until 
the  day  of  judgment,  as  the  Socinians  and  Mennonites  imagine  ;  for 
the  souls  of  the  righteous  are  immediately  taken  up  to  Christ  their 
Head,   into  heaven,     "  We  know,"  saith  Paul  2  Cor.  v.  1,  "that  if 
our  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have  a  build- 
ing of  God,  an  house  not  made  with  hunds,  but  eternal  in  the  heav- 
ens."    For  this  he  also  longed,  Philip,  i.  23.     This  the  Saviour  also 
promised  to  the  converted  thief,    Luke  xxiii.  43.     And  so  also  the 
■  souls  of  the  wicked   are  cast  down  into  hell,  as  we  see  in  the  rich 
man,    Luke  xvi.  23.     Will  souls  sleep  in   heaven  or  hell  ?  No,   in 
heaven  they  arc  active  in  the  highest  degree,  contemplating  God, 
loving  him,  praising  him,  and  rejoicing  in  him  ;  ''  for  they  all  live 
lo  him,"  Luke  xx.  38.     They  do   not  sleep  in  hell    neither  without 
feeling  ;  for  "  the  rich  man  was  tormented  in  the  flame."  Luke  xvi. 
24.     v-  Sodom  and  Gomoirah,   and  the  cities  about  them  suffer  the 
vengeance  of  eterna.  fire,"   Jude  vrs.  7.     And  if  we  look  into  this 
matter  aright,  we  will  find  that  the  opinion  concerning  the  sleeping 
cf  souls  reduces  heaven  and  hell  to  a  mere  fable.     The  dead  are  in- 
deed sometimes  said  to  sleep  and  rest ;  but  this  is  to  be  understood 
cither  of  the  body,   as  the  Saviour  saith,  **  Lazarus  our  friend  sleep- 
eth,"  speaking  of  his  death,  John  xi.  1 1,  13,  or  of  resting  from  tribu- 
lation, ^' their  labour,"  Rev.  xiv.  13,  or  of  waiting  for  a  fuller  reve- 
lation of  glory,  Rev.  vi.  11. 

As  the  sleeping  of  souls,  maintained  by  the  Socinians  and  Men- 
nonites,  is  absurd,  so  the  porch  of  the  fathers,  and  purgatory,  main- 
tained by  the  Papists,  is  fabulous.  These  men,  in  order  to  vend  at 
a  high  rate  their  wares  of  auricular  confession,  indulgences,  rosaries, 
selfrighteousness,  masses  for  souls,  and  other  trifles,  have  invented 
four  different  abodes  for  the  souls  of  the  dead,  next  to,  and  above 
each  other :  the  lowest  is  hell,  which  is  for  the  damned  ;  next  to 
this  is  purgatory,  which  is  as  hot  as  hell,  and  in  which  the  souls,  who 
are  not  sufficiently  purified  here  by  their  own  satisfaction,  or  that  of 
Christ,  are  perfectly  purified  by  a  long,  though  not  an  everlasting 
torment:  above  hell  is  a  receptacle  for  unbaptized  children,  and 
above  this  is  the  porch  of  hell,  where  the  believing  fathers  of  the 
Old  Testament  were  confined,  as  in  a  prison,  until  Christ  descended 
into  hell,  and  delivered  them  out  of  it.  Trifles.  The  word  of  God 
knows  nothing  of  this,  but  saith  that  the .  ancient  believers,  when 
dying,  ''waited  for  the  salvation  of  the  Lord,"  Gen.  xhx.  18,  and 
that  "  after  they  had  been  guided  by  the  counsel  of  God,  they  were 


THIS  LIFE.        XXil.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  57,  58.       441 

leceived  into  glory,"  Psalm  Ixxlii.  24.  *  The  Captain  of  salvation 
had  even  then  brought  many  souls  to  glory,"  Heb,  ii,  10.  The 
fathers  lived  to  God  after  their  death,  Luke  xx,  38.  The  reflex 
virtue  of  the  merits  of  their  Surety  conveyed  them  instantly  to  heaven. 
See  Rom.  iii.  25,  26.  Heb.  ii.  10.  ix.  15.  Peter  saith  indeed  that 
Christ  precahed  to  the  rpirits  in  prison,"  1  Peter  iii.  19,  but  those 
were  not  the  spirits  of  the  believing  fathers,  bat  of  the  disobedient 
inhabitants  of  the  old  world,  as  appears  from  the  twentieth  verse  : 
who  were  not  in  prison  then,  but  now,  to  wit,  in  Peter's  time,  whtn 
the  fathers  were  delivered  out  of  the  prison  :  moieover,  Christ 
preached  not  to  them  in  his  own  person,  but  by  the  Spirit,  vrs.  18, 
19)  and  that  not  while  they  were  in  prison,  but  while  "they  were 
disobedient,  when  once  the  longsuffering  of  God  waited  in  the  days 
of  Noah,  while  the  ark  was  preparing,"  vrs.  20.  "  The  pit  whereia 
there  is  no  water,"  Zech  ix.  11,  is  not  the  porch,  but  the  misery, 
spiritual  or  temporal,  from  which  the  people  of  the  Lord  are  deliver- 
ed by  the  blood  of  the  covenant. 

As  there  is  no  porch  of  hell,  so  there  is  no  purgatory,  in  which 
impure  sou's  must  be  purified  by  a  hot  flame  ;  for  the  word  of  God 
knows  of  only  heaven  and  hell,  and  not  of  purgatory  :  believers  are 
immediately  taken  up  to  Christ  their  Head,  as  we  have  proved  % 
«  The  blood  of  Jes-us  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  cleanseth  us  from  all 
sin,"  I  John  i.  7.  And  the  soul  no  sooner  leaves  the  body,  than  it 
is  perfectly  "justified,"  and  therefore  also  purified,  Rom.  vi-  7. 

In  order  that  they  may  have  a  cloak  for  their  shame,  they  object 
here  what  Paul  saith,  1  Cor.  iii.  12,  13.  "If  any  man  build  upon 
this  foundation  gold,  silver,  precious  stones,  wood,  hay,  stubble : 
every  man's  work  shall  be  made  manifest;  because  it  shall  be  reveal- 
ed by  fire  ;  and  the  fire  shall  try  every  man's  work,  of  what  sort  it 
is."  But  we  do  not  find  one  word  here  of  a  purgatory,  which  cleans- 
eth souls  from  sin  ;  this  passage  speaks  of  the  fire  of  aflliction,  which 
tries,  reveals  and  declares,  not  the  persons,  but  the  good  and  evil 
works  of  the  builders,  to  wit,  of  the  preachers,  and  not  of  every  be- 
liever. We  will  not  recite  all  the  objections  of  the  adversaries,  but 
refute  only  this  one,  which  they  alledge  from  1  Cor.  xv.  29.  "  Else 
what  shall  they  do  which  are  baptised  for  the  dead,  if  the  dead  rise 
not  at  all  ?  why  are  they  then  baptized  for  the  dead  ?"  By  baptism 
they  understand  the  baptism  of  tears,  and  of  making  satisfaction  by 
prayers,  alms,  &c.  by  which  the  dead  are  relieved  in  purgatory.  But 
from  what  doth  it  appear  that  we  must  understand  by  baptism  here 
the  baptism  of  tears  and  of  making  satisfaction  ?  that  by  the  dead 
the  souls  in  purgatoiy  are  meant  ?  and  that  they  are  purified  by  such 

3M 


442         THE  BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AFTER 

a  baptism  ?  of  this  there  is  neither  word  nor  tiltle  in  the  passage 
alledged.  But  we  must  know,  in  order  to  understand  the  sense  of 
these  words,  that  the  aj^ostle  hath  not  respect  here  to  any  custorrtj 
which  took  place  in  the  cnurch  alter  his  time,  but  to  something  that 
happened  in  his  time.  And  it  was  this,  that  when  the  martyrs  were 
slain,  others  joined  themselves  to  the  afflicted  church  in  their  stead, 
and  declared  this  by  submitting  unto  baptism,  which  they  would  not 
have  done,  it'  they  had  not  had  a  certain  hope  of  a  blessf d  resurrec- 
tion, which  was  excited  in  them,  when  they  saw  that  the  martyrs, 
animated  by  such  a  hope,  suffered  courageously  the  most  painful 
death  We  conceive  that  this  is  the  simple  and  trident  sense  of  the 
passage  ;  for  by  the  dead  we  must  understand  those  who  had  been 
slain  by  the  death  of  martyrdom,  as  appears  from  vrs.  SO.  31,  32. 
Baptism  denotes  here  water  baptism,  the  piiblick  token,  that  a  person 
hath  received  the  Christian  doctrine  :  for  tiere  occurs  no  reason 
here  why  we  should  depart  from  the  literal  signification  of  baptism. 
To  be  baptised  for  the  dead,  in  Greek  ufier  toon  nekroon,  signifies  in 
tlie  stCLid  of  the  dead  ;  for  u/isr  signifies  for,  and  in  the  stead  of,  and 
thus  it  denotes  that  for,  and  in  the  stead  of  the  martyrs,  who  were 
taken  from  the  church,  others  joined  themselves  to  her  by  suffering 
themselves  to  be  baptised.  And  so  this  was  a  powerful  argument  iri 
favour  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  that  these  newly  baptized  per- 
sons appeared  to  be  so  powerfully  convinced  of  it,  in  the  midst  of  so 
much  danger  ;  for  the  hope  of  the  resurrection,  which  wrought  sa 
effectually  in  their  minds,  that  they  professed  Christianity  amidst  so 
much  d?,nger.  could  not  be  a  vain  hope.  Therefore  the  apostle  saith, 
♦'  Else  what  shall  they  do,  if  the  dead  rise  not  at  all  ?"  shall  they 
deny  the  profession,  of  which  they  have  been  weH  assured  ?  this  is 
impossible,  would  he  say. 

And  ttius  we  see  that  the  souls  of  believers  are  immediately  taken 
up  to  Christ  their  Head. 

2.  But  what  will  brcome  of  the  dead  body?  this  must  be  thrust 
into  a  dark  pit,  the  grave,  or  be  consumed  l)y  fire,  or  be  given  to  the 
beasts  of  the  field,  the  fowls  of  the  air,  or  the  fishes  of  the  sea  for 
food.  But  sjiiall  the  bodies  of  the  saints  remain'  for  ever  in  this  con- 
dition ?  No,  *'  this  my  body"  saith  the  instructor,  "  being  raised  by 
the  power  of  Christ,  shall  be  re-united  with  my  soul,  and  made  like 
unto  the  gloiious  body  of  Christ.'*  That  we  may  have  a  proper 
apprehension  of  this,  we  will  consider,  l.The  nature  of  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  body,  2.  The  univeisality  of  it,  3.  The  agent,  4.  The 
qualities,  5.  The  time,  6.  The  reality  and  certainty  of  it.  We  will 
♦i>sat  ofeach  particular  briefly. 


lllIS  LIFE.        XXir.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  57,  58.         U^ 

\,  The  nature  of  the  resuvrectian  of  the  body  is  beautifully  ex- 
plained \^  the  words  of  the  catechism,  just  now  quoted,  to  wit,  (a) 
That  this  body  shall  be  raised.  The  Lord  God  having  a  knowledge 
of,  and  power  over  all  the  scattered  parts,  even  the  least,  will  unite 
them  all  n^ain,  and  produce  the  fornier  system  of  the  body  anew. 
Thus  Ezeki'.:!  saw  in  a  vision  "  a  shaking  of  the  dead  and  dry  bones, 
and  that  the  hones  came  together,  bone  to  his  bone  ;  and  sinews  and 
flesh  came  up  upon  them,  and  they  were  covered  with  skin,"  Ezek. 
xxxvii.  7,  8.  (b)  This  body  will  bs  united  again  to  its  soul,  and  so  be 
made  alive  :  Ezekicl  also  saw  that  "the  breath  entered  into  the  bodies 
and  they  lived,  and  stood  upon  their  feet,"  vrs.  10.  (c)  It  belongs 
also  to  the  nature  of  the  resurrection,  th^  the  dead  will  go  forth  otit 
of  their  graves,  as  the  Saviour  teacheth,  John  v.  28,  29. 

2.  Not  only  this  and  that  person  will  rise   again  in   this  manner^ 
but  ail  the  dead.     Enoch  and  Elijah,  since    they  never  saw  death, 
need  not  rise  again.     Those  w^ho  remain  alive    at   the    end   of  the 
world  will    not   die,  and  tnerefore   will  not    rise  ;    but   "  they  will 
be  changed  in  a  moment,"  or  very  quickly,  1  Cor.  xv.  51,  52,  which 
will  be  to  them,  instead  of  death  and  the  resurrection,  and  will  render 
them  immortal  and  incorruptible.     But  these  excepted,  all  men  will 
rise,  both  the  wicked  and  the  godly.     This    son>e  of  the   Jews    and 
of  the  Socinians  deny.     But  the  word  of  God   teacheth   us  that  all 
will  arise  :  "  Many  of  them  that  sleep   in  the  dust  of  the   earth  shall 
av/ake,"  Dan.  xii   2,  We  may  not  say  that  many  are  not  all,  because 
these  many  comprehend  not  only  those  who   '*  awake  to  everlasting 
life,"  but  also  those  who   "  awake  to  shame,   and   everlasting   con- 
tempt."    Oar  Saviour  teacheth  us  the  same  thing,  saying,  John   v. 
28,  29,  "  All  that  are  in  the  graves,"  Sec.     How  shall  all  else  "  ap- 
pear before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ  ?"  2  Cor.  v.  10.     Yea,  how 
tlse    should   the   justice    of  God   be  exercised    in    punishing  the 
wicked,  according  to  2  Thess.  i.  6,  if  they  rise  not  to  everlasting  con- 
demnation ?  The  blessed  rcsurrectionjof  the  body  is  indeed  a  benefit, 
and  the  hope  of  the  church,  but  it  doth  not  exclude  the  resurrection 
of  the  ungodly,  since  that  is  also   a  benefit  and  hope  ^of  the  church, 
because  she  will  see  God  glorified  thereby  in  her  enemies.     There- 
fore Paul  saith.  Acts.  xxiv.   15-  "I  have  hope  toward    God,   which 
they  themselves  also  allow,  that  there  shall  be  a  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  both  of  the  just  and  unjust." 

3.  We  will  not  busy  ourselves  with  the  silly  notions  of  the  Jews, 
who  fancy  that  there  is  an  incorruptible  joint  in  the  back-bone,  which 
will  be  moistened  with  the  dew  of  heaven,  and  will  extend  and  dilate 
like  leaven,  and  thus  restore  the  whole  man.     We  believe  with  iho 


444        THE  BFNEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AFTER 

instructor,  the  word  of  God,  which  informs  us,   •'  that  we    shall  be 
raised  by  the  po.\er  of  Christ."     The  Father  hath  committed  this 
work  to  his  Son,  as  his  dispensation.     "  This,"  saith  he,  John  vi*  30, 
'Ms  the  will  of  the  Fatlici  Wuich  hath  sent  me,  that  of  all  which  he 
hath  i^jiven  me,  1  should  lose  nothin^r,  but  should  raise  it  up  at  the 
last  day."     And  thus  he   quickeneih  whom  he    will,  as  the   Father 
raiseth  up  the  dead  and  quickeneih  them,"   John  v.    21.     And   so 
*'  God  will  raisij  us  up  by  Jesus  "  2  Cor.  iv.  14.     For  which  purpose 
Christ  will  exert  his  power  and    influence   upon    the    c^ead    bodiesj 
that  they  may  be  quickened  ;  and  this  power  will  be   manifested   by 
his  penetrating  "  Voice,  which  the  dead  will   hear,"  John  v.  28,  and 
which  will  perhaps  be  "  the  great    sound  of  the  last  trimpet    that 
shall  sound,  in  order  to  raise  the  cieac  up  incorruptible,"  Matt.  xxiv. 
31.     1  Cor.  XV.  52,  and  "  the  shout  and  voice  of  the  archangel,  with 
which  the  Lord  himself  sUall  descend  from  heaven,'*  1  Thess.  iv.  16. 
And  with  this  voice  he  will  send  forth  his  Spirit,  the  power  from  on 
high,  as  Paul  saith,  Rom.  viii.  11.     "He  shall  quicken  your  mortal 
bodies  by  his  Spirit  that  dvvellethin  you."     Would  ye  see  a  figure 
of  the  resurrection,  behold  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus  :  '"  Jesus  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  Lazarus  come  fcilh,  and    the  dead    came    forth.'* 
John  xi.  43,  41, 

4.  "  But  some  man  will  say.  How  are  tlie  dead  raised  up  ? 
and  wiih  what  body  cio  they  come  ?"  Thus  speaks  the  apostle, 
1  Cor.  XV.  45,  and  he  answers  in  a  twofolfl  manner  :  (a)  That  the 
body  will  have  different  quahfications  from  what  it  had  before  its 
death  ;  which  he  shows  vrs  36 — 52,  informing  us  that  the  body  is 
not  glorified,  except  it  first  die,  by  which  it  becomes  m  the  resurrec- 
tion a  totally  different  body  from  what  it  v/as  before,  not  in  substancej 
but  in  quahties,  of  which  he  notic:s  four  :  (1)  "  It  is  sown  in  cor- 
ruption, it  is  raised  in  incorruplion,"  vrs.  42.  It  will  be  always 
alike  vigorous  and  healthful,  and  incapable  of  any  disease  ;  Leah 
will  not  be  lendereyed,  Bartimeus,  will  not  be  blind,  Jacob  ^^ill  not 
be  halt,  Mephibosheth,  will  not  be  a  cripple,  and  Barzillai  will  not  be 
old.  (2)  "  It  is  sown  in  dishonour,  it  is  raised  in  glory,"  vrs.  43. 
It  will  be  adorned  with  a  wonderful  lustre,  "  like  the  glorious  body 
of  Christ,"  Phil.  iii.  21.  "it  will  bear  the  image  of  the  heavenly," 
vrs.  49,  and  "  shine  like  the  sun,"  Matt,  xiii.  43.  (3)  "  It  is  sown 
in  weakness,  it  is  raised  in  power."  vrs.  43.  It  will  be  able  to  en- 
dure the  immediate  revelation  of  the  glory  of  God,  which  would 
dissolve  and  rend  it  in  its  mort.l  state,  like  the  most  brittle  sub- 
stance. (4) "  It  is  sown  a  natural  body,  it  is  raised  a  spiritual 
body,"  vrs.  44.  It  will  not  employ  itself  any  longer  with  natural 
things,   and  it  will  not  subsist  by  natural  food,   but  will    subsist  and 


THIS  LIFE.        XXII.  LORD  S  DAY.  Q.  54— £6.         4<»i. 

act  immediately  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  influenced  by  the  Spirit* 
(b)  The  other  part  of  his  answer  to  the  question,  \vhich  was  propo- 
sed, is,  that  the  same  body,  which  we  have  borne  about  with  us 
here,  even  tlie  same  with  r.:spect  to  substance,  will  rise  ;  for  he 
saith,  vrs.  53,  pointing  as  it  were  with  his  linger,  to  his  own  body,, 
*'  This  corruptible  must  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  must 
put  on  immortality  "  It  is  indeed  "our  vile  body,  which  Christ 
will  fashion  like  his  glorious  bod)  s'*^  Phil.  iii.  21.  Christ  had  in  his 
resurrection  his  own  body,  we  must  theiefore,  if  "  we  bear  the  im» 
age  of  the  heavenly,"  also  have  our  own  bodies  in  the  resurrection; 
those  who  remain  alive,  will  then  also  have  their  own  bodies.  The 
justice  of  God  requireth  that  each  one  should  receive  in  his  own 
body,  according  to  what  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad," 
2  Cor.  V,  17.  The  belevers  of  old  also  believed  and  expected  the 
resurrection  of  the  same  body,  which  they  bore  about  with  them 
here,  Job  xix.  25,  26,  27.  Isaiah  xxvi.  19.  Dan.  xii.  2.  And  so 
the  wicked  will  likewise  arise  with  their  own  bodies,  which  will  also 
have  other  qualities,  immortality  and  power,  that  they  may  be  tor^ 
mented  forever  J  but  their  bodies  will  not  partake  of  the  excel- 
lency of  the  godly. 

The  Socinians,  who  deny  the  resurrection  of  the  same  body,  do  in 
effect  deny  the  resurrection  itself:  for  if  the  dead  body  itself  arise 
not,  but  another,  it  is  not  a  resurrection,  but  a  creation.  They  oifer 
indeed  reasons,  which  apj)ear  plausible,  in  order  to  subvert  this  truth, 
but  they  are  not  of  any  force.  They  say  it  is  impossible  that  the 
dust,  which  hath  been  long  since  scattered  abroad,  should  be  gather- 
ed and  united  again  in  a  body  ;  that  maneaters  convert  the  flesh  of 
others  into  their  own,  and  that  if  the  same  bodies  arise,  those  who 
have  been  eaten  cannot  arise  with  their  own  flesh,  because  that  is 
become  the  flesh  of  the  maneaters.  We  need  not  reply  othenvise 
to  this,  than  our  Saviour  did  to  the  Saducees,  Matt.  xxii.  29,  "  Ye  do 
err,  not  knowing  the  scriptures,  nor  the  power  of  God  "  But  we 
add  over  and  above  this,  that  God  being  aliknowing  and  almighty, 
both  sees  the  scattered  dust  of  men,  and  can  also  gather  it  again. 
IManeaters  convert  only  a  small  part  of  the  flesli  of  another  person 
into  their  own  flesh,  and  God  can  in  the  resmrection  restore  it  very 
easily  to  the  flesh  of  the  person,  from  whom  it  was  taken  ;  and  th-»t 
which  is  thus  taken  from  the  mancater  can  be  recompensed  again 
from  that  which  had  perspired  from  him,  and  which  he  must  supply 
repeatedly  by  new  food  :  "  God  will  indeed  destroy  the  belly  i.nd 
pleats,"  1  Cor.  vi,  13.  and"  flesh  and  blood  cannot  inherit  the  kin:?;- 
dom  of  God,"   1  Ccr,  xv.  50*     But  by  the  belly  and  ments  we  must 


446        THE  BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AFTER 

understand  the  use  of  the  belly  and  meats,  and  the  corruptible  fiesh  ; 
therefore  it  is  added,  I  Cor.  xv.  50,  "  Corruption  doth  not  inherit 
incorruption." 

5.  This  resurrection  is  not  "  past   already,'*  as   Hymeneus   and 
Philetus  said,  2  Tim.  ii.  17,  t8.     But  it  will  take   plate  on  the  last 
day,  as  the  Saviour  and  Paul  have  foretold   us,  John  vi.  39,   40,    54. 
1  Cor.  XV.  23,  when  all  men  shall  be  raised  up  in  a  moment,  and  at 
the  same  time,  John  v.  28,  29,    1  Cor.  xv.    52.     And  therefore  we 
do  not  believe  that  the  martyrs  will  rise  before  the  last;  day.  in  order 
to  reign  a  thousand  years  with  Christ  on  earth,  who  will  descend  in 
the  body  from  heaven,  as  the  Chiliasts  fancy,  because    John    saithj 
Rev.  XX.  4,  5,   "I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them  :    and  I  saw 
the  souls  of  them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus  ;.  aud 
they  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years ;  but  the  real  of 
the  dead  lived  not  again,  until   the  thousand   years  were    finished." 
Bat  these  words  being  emblematical,,  and  prophetical,  cannot  serve 
to  confirm  such  a  singular  opinion,  which  contradicts  other  passages 
of  God's  word.      The  true  and  proper  meaning  of  this  text  is,  that 
the  church   which  had  been  slain  in    her  martyrs    under  Antichrist, 
during  the  period  of  tJ-e  t-,velve  hundred  and  sixty  prophetical  daya, 
should  obtain    a  new  life,  and  that  her  worship  should  prevail  in  the 
world,  and  that  she  should  thus  have    "  a  life  from  the  dead,"  Ronrv. 
xi.    15.     In  this  sense  should  the  two  witnesses   be   put   to   death, 
arise  and  ascend  up  to  heaven  to  the  terrour  and  annoyance  of  Anti- 
christ, Rev.  xi.  3 — 13.     And  thus  t|ie  rest  of  the  dead,  to  wit,   anti- 
christ and  his  adherents,  did  not  life    again,  but  were  dead,  or  in  a 
low  condition,   until   the  end  of  the  thousand  years,  when  the   devil 
should  be  loosed,  that  he  might  gather  all  the  enemies  of  the  church 
under  Gog  and  Magog,  and  compass  the  camp  of  the  saints,  the  be- 
loved city,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  destroy  it ;  but  the  Lord  will  hin- 
der it  in  an  extraordinary  manner,  and   will   destroy    the   enemies  ; 
upon  which  will  follov/  the  general  resurrection  of  the  body,  and  the 
judgment.     Read  this  whole  twentieth  chapter,  and  compare  there- 
with the  eleventh  chapter  of  the  revelation,  and  it  will    appear  that 
this  exposition  is  in  no  wise  contradictory  to  other  passages  of  scrip- 
ture. 

6.  But  what  comfort  will  this  afford  us,  as  long  as  we  are  not  per- 
suaded of  the  reality  and  certainty  of  this  resurrection  of  the  dead"? 
The  Sadducees  and  Atheists  deny  the  resurrection.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  prove  it  against  them  ;  they  shut  their  eyes  wilfully  :  but  it 
is  necessary,  that  we  shoul  1  be  certain  of  it,  because  we  are  so  attach- 
ed to  visible  and  present  objects,  that  we  cannot  represent  to  our* 
selves  what  is  invisible  and  future  in  a  lively  manner,  unless  we  be 


THIS  LIFE.        XXII.  LORD'S  DMY,  Q.  57,  58.         447 

assured,  that  such  a  resurrection  is  truly  to  be  expected.     Therefore 
that  we  may  have  an  assurance  of  it,  we  must  know  beforehand  that 
this  resurrection  of  the   body  is  neither  inypossible  nor  incredible  ; 
«  With  God  all  things  are  possible,"    Mark  xvi,  36.  «  With  God 
nothing  shall  be  innpossible,"  Luke  i.  37.     The  Saviour  appealed  to 
the  power  of  God  in  this  matter  against  the  Sadducees,   Matt.  xxii. 
29.     Abraham   grounded  his  faith  upon  this  power,  when  he  was 
about  to  slay  his  son,   Heb.  xi.  17,  18.     He  who  made  the  whole 
world  out  of  nothing,  is  able  to  restore  the  scattered  dust  of  man, 
which  he  preserves,  to  its  former  state  of  a  living  body,  as  Abraham 
believed,  Rom.  iv.  17.     It  should  support  our  hope  the  more,  that 
God  hath  given  so  many  evidences  of  his  power  in  this  respect,  when 
he  raised  so  many  from  the  dead  by  his  prophets,  by  his  Son,  and 
by  his  apostles,  I  Kings  xvii.  22   2  Kings  iv.  32—36.  xiii.  31,  Matt* 
ix.  24,  25.  Luke  vii.   14,  15.  John  xi.  43,  44.  Matt,  xxviii.  52,  53. 
Acts  ix  40.  XX.  9,   10.     And  we  are  not  only  certain,  that  it  is  pos- 
sible with  God  to  raise  the  dead,  but  also  that  he  will  indeed  raise 
them  at  the  last  day.     iVTany  passages  of  the  word  of  God  teach  us 
this,  as  Job  xix.  25,  26,  27.  Isaiah  xxvi.  19.  Dan.  xii.  2.  John  v.  28, 
29.  xi.  23,  24.  Heb.  vi.  2.    But  we  will  insist  more  particularly  upon 
two,  because  they  prove  it  designedly  against  those  who  deny  the 
resurrection.     The  first  passage   is.    Matt.  xxii.  31,  32,  where  the 
Saviour  saith  to  the  Sadducees.  Touching  the  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
have  ye  not  read  that  which  was   spoken  to  you  by  God,  saying,  I 
am  the  God  of  Abraham,    and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God   of 
Jacob?  God  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,    but  of  the  livinfr."     The 
force  of  this  proof  is  so  great,  that  it  stopped  the  mouths  of  the  Sad- 
ducees ;  see  vrs.  23y  34,  and  the  emphasis  of  it  consists  in  this,  that 
the  Lord,  being  the  God  of  the  fathers,  not  only  with  respect  to  their 
souls,  but  also  with  respect  to  their  b:idies,  which  were  now  dead,  he 
must  quicken  their  bodies,  or  otherwise  he  would  not  be  their  God, 
because  he  was  not  a  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living.     The  othej 
passage  is  1  Cor.  xv.  where  the  apostle  produceth  several  arguments, 
and  particularly,  (a)  that  Christ,  the  Head  of  believers,  is  risen,  who 
will  therefore  not  leave  his  members  under  death,  vrs.  12 — 18.  (b) 
That  believers  are  otherwise  of  all  men   the  most  miserable,  which 
is  surely  impossible,  vrs.  19.  (c)   That  Christ  is  by  his  resurrection 
"  the  first  fruits  of  them  that  slept,"  who  are  therefore,  like  the  whole 
harvest,  sanctified  to  the   resurrection,  vrs.  20.  (d)  That  Adam  sub- 
jected those  who  were  his  to  death,  and  that  Christ  doth  not  less  re- 
store those  who  are  his  to  life,  vrs.  21,  22.  (e)  That  Christ  as  King, 
must  conquer  the  last  enemy,  deaths  which  is  not  effected,  except 


^48  THE  BErsEbliS  OF  THE  CHURCH  A?TER 

by  the  resurreclion  cf  the  dead,  vrs.  25 — 23.  (f)  That  this  truth  -^a^ 
so  efficacious,  that  certain  persons  suftered  themselves  to  be  baptized 
from  a  hope  of  the  resurrestion,  though  they  saw  that  others  were 
put  to  death  on  account  of  Chiisiianity,  as  the  twenty  ninth  verse 
must  be  explained,  which  we  have  shown  before,  (g)  That  otherwise 
all  the  sufferings  of  Christians  are  vain,  which  is  incredible,  vrs.  30. 
31,  32.  Will  we  have  more,  we  may  add,  tivat  «  Uie  bodies  of  be* 
iievers  are  the  temples  of  the  Holy  uhost,  1  Cor.  vi.  19.  Now  he 
will  not  suffer  his  temples  to  remain  desolate,  as  Paul  showeth, 
Rom.  viii.   11. 

II.  Ail  men  will  rise,  not  to  di^  again,  but  to  live  for  ever,  some 
to  hnppiness,  and  others  to  misery  ■,  for  ''  they  shall  come  forth,  they 
that  have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection  of  life  ;  and  they  that 
have  done  evil  unto  the  resurrection  of  damna<ion,"  John  v.  29.  But 
we  do  not  speak  nov/  of  the  everlasung  life  of  the  wicked  in  miserVs 
but  of  the  everiasling  life  of  tne  godly  in  blessedness.  The  ever- 
lasting life  of  the  miserable  is  rather  a  death  than  a  life  ;  on  which 
account  it  is  often  called  death,  and  the  second  death,  Rev.  xxi.  8. 
But  the  life  of  the  blessed  is  a  true  and  pleasant  life  ;  therefore  it  is- 
said  to  them.  Psalm  xxii.  26.  "Your  heart  shall  live  for  ever.  We 
•6nd  the  same  also,  Psalm  Ixix.  32.  In  order  to  say  something  of 
this  everlasting  life,  we  will  observe  1,  wherein  this  everlasting  life 
consists,  and  2,  how  it  v/ill  be  communicated  to  the  elect. 

1.  No  mortal  can  fully  comprehend  wherein  this  everlasting  life 
will  consist,  much  less  ieclare  it :  Paul,  who  had  been  in  heaven, 
and  was  come  dov/n  thence,  saith  no  more  of  it,  than  that  "  he  had 
heard  unspeakable  words,  which  it  was  not  lawful  for  a  man  to 
niter,"  2  Cor.  xii.  4.  The  Lord  doth  i^evertheless  reveal  something 
ot  it  to  his  favourites,  Avhen  he  permits  them  to  taste  of  the  fruits  of 
that  Canaan,  and  "  to  feel  the  beginnn^gs  of  everlasting  joy  in  their 
hearts."  Therefore  the  aposile  saith,  1  Cor.  ii.  9,  10.  '•  Eye  hath 
i^ot  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of  man 
the  things,  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him  :  "  but" 
(maik  well)  "  God  hath  revealed  them  to  us  by  his  Spirit."  Surely 
God  discovers  something  of  this  in  his  vvord,  v,'hen,  accomodivting 
■liraself  to  our  childish  capacities,  he  calls  this  everlasting  life,  *'  sal- 
vation, glory,  joy,  rest,  a  kingdom,  crown,  inheritance,  &c.  There- 
iovs  we  will,  according  to  the  measure  of  the  divine  revelation  to  us, 
.ihow  (a)  from  what  the  blessed  will  be  delivered,  (b)  what  they  wiH 
onjoy,  and  (c)  what  circumstances  will  increase  their  blessedness. 
.  (a)  Tha  blessed  will  be  delivered  from  all  that  is  shameful,  hurt- 
2ul,   and  painful  to  them,   with  respect  to  soul  and  body.     No  re- 


THIS  LIFE.        XXII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  57,  53.      44S 

proach,  nor  contempt  will  be  offered  to  them  :  no  tmxious  poverty 
will  dibtrcss  their  hearts,  they  will  not  mourn  any  more  on  account 
of  pail),  weakness,  sickness,  or  death  :  sin,  darirness,  deadness,  the 
hiding  of  God's  countenance,  the  pov/er  of  unbelief,  the  assaults  of 
Satan,  the  seductions  and  perstculions  of  the  world,  the  provocations 
of  the  flesh  to  sin,  will  be  excluded  for  ever  :  "■  They  shall  not 
hunger  any  more,  neither  shall  they  thirst  any  more,  neither  shall 
the  sun  li^ht  on  them,  nor  any  heat,"  Rev.  vii.  16.  "  God  will  wipe 
away  all  tears  from  their  eyes  ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death, 
neither  sorrov/  nor  cryinp;,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain  : 
for  the  former  things  are  passed  away,"  Rev.  xxi.  4.  "  Death  and 
hell,"  that  is,  all  that  is  to  believers  like  a  death  and  hell,  *«  will  be 
cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,"  Rev.  xx.  14. 

(b)  But  this  alone  cannot  constitute  a  perfect  blessedness  ;  for  if 
a  man  were  annihilated,  he  would  also  be  delivered  from  all  this 
evil :  and  therefore  it  belongs  also  to  everlasting  life,  that  man  should 
enjoy  a  satisfying  good.  God  hath  created  him  with  a  rational  de- 
sire for  an  everlasting  good  :  and  when  he  enjoys  this  he  is  happy. 
And  therefore  his  everlasting  bliss  will  also  consist, 

1.  In  beholding  God  and  Christ.  As  God  is  a  spirit,  he  will 
not  be  able  to  see  him  with  his  bodily  eyes  ;  but  he  vvill  behold  the 
Son  of  God  with  his  bodily  eyes,  in  his  glorious  and  exalted  human- 
ity, as  his  Redeemer.  But  he  will  employ  his  understanding  prin- 
cipally with  respect  to  God,  in  contemplating  his  perfections, 
persons,  everlasting  counsel,  and  the  wonderful  way  in  which  the 
blessed  God  hath  led  him  to  giory.  Our  text  teacheth  us  this,  say- 
ing, "  1  will  behold  thy  face  in  righteousness  ;  the  pure  in  heart  will 
see  God,  and  therefore  be  blessed,"  Matt.  v.  8,  and  that  not  only,  as 
they  do  at  present,  by  the  word,  which  is  like  a  glass,  and  a  dark 
saying  to  them,  so  that  they  know  now  only  in  part,  by  means  of  the 
utmost  ends  of  his  ways,  and  smcdl  portions  of  matters,  and  as  it 
were,  by  looking  at  his  back-parts,  their  understandings  being  so  be- 
clouded by  their  sinful  prejudices,  and  tlieir  mortal  body,  that  they 
cannot  form  any  other  than  exceedingly  narrow  conceptions  of  God. 
But  they  will  see  God  immediately,  and  as  it  were,  face  to  face,  and 
they  will  be  so  led  into  the  depths  of  his  wisdom,  power,  goodness, 
love,  and  glory  by  the  beams  of  his  splendid  essence,  that  they  will 
be  overwhelmed  therewith,  swallowed  up  therein,  and  enraptured 
with  everlasting  wonder :  "  For  we  shall  see  him,  as  he  is,"  1  John 
iii.  2.  It  was  the  prerogative  of  Moses  above  other  prophets,  that 
"  the  Lord  spake  to  him  mouth  to  mouth,  even  apparently,  and  not 
in  dark  speeches  ;  and  that  he  beheld  the  similitude  of  the  Lord>" 

3N 


450        THE  BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AFTER 

Num.  xii-  8.  Yet  his  vision  ^^as  not  perfect,  as  long  as  he  was  ift 
his  mortal  body  ;  but  the  blessed  will  enjoy  the  vision  of  God  in  a 
much  higher  degree  than  Moses,  even  in  the  highest  degree ;  for 
they  will  see  him  "  face  to  face  ;  they  know  now  in  part ;  but  then 
they  will  know  even  as  they  are  known,"  I  Cor.  xiii.  12. 

2.  By  seeing  God  thus,  they  will  become  perfectly  like  God  in 
his  holy  glory,  and  glorious  holiness,  even  as  much  as  a  creature 
can  be  like  him  :  "  We  shall  be  like  him,"  saith  John;  "  for  we 
shall  see  him  as  he  is,"  John  iii.  2.  This  blessed  ?.nd  immediate 
vision  of  God  will  be  so  efficacious,  that  it  will  transfer  the  image 
and  glory  of  God  to  them  :  for  "  beholding  the  face  of  God  in  right- 
eousness, they  will  also  be  satisfied  with  his  likeness.  "  When  be- 
lievers are  permitted  to  "  behold  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  with  open 
fece  as  in  a  glass,  they  are  then  changed  into  the  same  image,  from 
glory  to  glory,  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,"  2  Cor.  lii.  18.  When 
Moses  spake  to  the  Lord,  his  face  shone  in  such  a  manner,  that  the 
people  could  not  look  at  him,  until  he  put  a  veil  on  his  face,  Exod. 
xxxiv.  29 — 35.  What  a  wonderful  brightness  and  lustre  will  then 
be  transferred  to  the  blessed  from  the  beaming  p;lory  of  God,  when 
they  will  behold  God  immediately  in  all  his  splendour !  It  is  said  of 
the  blessed,  Rev.  xxii.  4  "  They  shall  see  his  face,  and  his  name 
shall  be  in  their  foreheads."  Even  their  bodies  will  shine  wonder- 
fully, and  "  li:ke  the  su/j,"  Matt.  xiii.  43.  If  a  mortal  man  s'  ould 
see  an  inhabitarit  of  heaven,  he  would  not  be  able  to  sustain  the 
sight,  but  would  quickly  shrink  from  it,  and  hide  himself.  See  what 
is  related,  Dan.  x.  5 — 3. 

3,  And  is  it  wonderful,  that  they  will  be  like  him  ?  for  they  will 
enjoy  the  blessed",  ailsufficient  God,  until  they  shall  be  fully  satis- 
fied :  "  Fulness  of  joy  is  in  his  presence,  at  his  right  hand  there  are 
pleasures  for  evermore,"  Psalm  xvi.  1 1.  The  believing  soul  thirsts 
and  pants  now  for  the  least  communication  of  his  favour,  and  when 
she  enjoys  that,  drinking  of  the  river  of  God's  pleasures,  she  is 
abundantly  satisfied,  when  she-  is  weary,"  Psalm  xxxvi.  8.  Jer.  xxxi. 
14,  15.  But  what  will  it  be  then,  when  God  will  favour  the  whole 
rnd  blessed  man  with  the  complete  enjoyment  of  himself,  and  when 
he  will  be  satisfied  with  God  ;.  for  the  Lord  will  fill  him  full,  even 
as  full  as  he  can  admit,  with  his  allsufficiency,  wisdom,  love,  and  glo- 
ry ;  for  then  "  God  will  be  all  in  all,"  1  Cor,  xv.  28.  How  will  the 
happy  man  tht-n  bathe,  swim,  and  lose  himself  in  the  unfathomable 
depth  of  the  allsufiicient  God  I  for  "  he  who  sitteth  on  the  throne, 
shall  feed  him  and  shall  lead  him  unto  living  fountains  of  water/ 
Rev.  vii.  15,  \7, 


THIS  LIFE.         XXir.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  57—53.       45i 

4.  All  this  will  fill  him  ^vith  a  fulness  of  joy,  which  will  excite  him 
to  praise  and  bless  God  :  "  This  salvation,"  saith  the  instructor,  «  I 
shall  inherit,  and  that  to  praise  God  for  ever  therein."  He  will  unite 
himself  v/ith  all  the  blessed  men  and  angels,  that  he  may  with  them 
shout  forth  the  glory  of  God,  until  the  heaven  resounds,  as  the  an- 
gels proclaimed  the  glory  and  holiness  of  God  with  such  mighty 
voices,  that  they  made  "  the  posts  of  the  door"  shake,  Isaiah  vi.  3. 
How  then  will  <'  the  voices  of  that  great  multitude,"  proclaim  one 
to  another,  "  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  many 
thunderings.  Hallelujah  ;  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth. 
Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  honour  to  him,"  Rev.  xix.  6,  7, 
When  believing  souls  enjoy  the  lovingkindncss  of  God  here  on 
earth,  the  one  excites  the  other,  saying,  "  Magnify  the  Lord  with 
me,  and  let  us  exak  his  name  together,"  Psalm  xxxii.  4.  O  how 
will  the  blessed  then,  seeing  what  they  have  been,  what  they  are  now, 
and  how  they  have  been  brought  into  this  blessed  state,  according  to 
the  unsearchable  wisdom,  power,  and  love  of  God,  by  the  blood  of 
his  Son,  cry  mightily,  day  and  night  without  ceasing,  "  Holy,  holy, 
holy  is  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  Avho  was,  and  who  is,  and  who  is  to 
come  !"  They  will  fall  down  before  him,  and  cast  their  crowns  be- 
fore the  throne  and  say  with  a  loud  voice,  "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb 
which  was  slain,  to  receive  power  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing,"  Rev.  iv.  8 — 11. 
V.  9-- 14. 

(c)  Moreover  this  blessedness  will  be  greatly  increased  by  the 
circumstances,  I  of  society,  2  of  place,  and  3  of  time* 

I.  A  godly  person  can  enjoy  a  wonderful  delight  in  his  holy^ 
lonely  life  of  communion  with  God  ;  society  often  disturbs  his  re- 
pose in  God  :  but  in  that  everlasting  life  he  will  be  in  the  society 
of  those,  who  will  not  lead  him  from,  but  up  to  his  full  satisfaction. 
For  he  vvill  be  with  all  those  eminent  saints,  "  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  \vho  will  sit  down  with  him  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,"  Matt, 
viii.  11,  "  He  will  walk"  with  the  angels  who  stand  before  the 
£ice  of  God,  Zech.  iii.  7.  There  never  was  a  time  of  so  much  bliss- 
ful glory  on  earth,  as  when  "  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host,"  came 
down  to  the  shepherds,  to  praise  God  to  the  utmost,  and  to  congrat- 
ulate men  upon  the  recent  birth  of  the  Saviour,  Luke  ii.  13,  14.  But 
how  glorious  will  it  be,  when  the  blessed  people  will  be  associated 
with  the  many  thousands  of  angels,  and  unite  with  them  !  But  can 
happy  men  and  holy  angels,  who  are  mere  creatures,  satisfy  the  heart 
of  man,  while  he  is  estranged  from  God  ?  No,  but  he  will  not  be 
■without  God  :  for  "  the  tabernacle  of  God  will  be  with  men,  and  he 


452         THE  BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AFTER 

will  dsvell  with  them,  and  they  -svill  be  his  people,  and  God  himself 
will  be  with  them,  and  be  their  God,"  Rev.  xxi.  3.  "  The  Lamb  him- 
self will  be  in  the  midst  of  *he  throne,"  Rev.  vii.  17.  *' And  round 
about  the  throne  there  will  be  four  and  twenty  seats,  and  upon  the 
seats  four  and  twenty  elders,  sitting,  clothed  in  white  raiment,  and 
having  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold,"  Rev.  iv.  4.  The  church  mili- 
tant is  described  as  so  near  him,  and  round  about  him ;  what  then 
will  bi;  the  condition  of  them,  who  will  be  admitted  to  the  enjoyment 
of  perfect  salvation! 

2.  There  is  no  place  so  strait,  so  dark  and  mean,  but  that  God 
will  condescend  to  reveal  himself  in  it  to  his  favourites  ;  nevertheless 
a  spacious  and  lightsome  place  will  elevate  a  spiritual  heart:  but  the 
place  where  this  glory  will  be  enjoyed,  is  the  high,  the  spacious  and 
sumptuous  heaven,  where  light,  yea,  where  God  himself  dvvelleth, 
as  in  nis  palace  :  for  "■  the  Lord  is  in  his  holy  temple,  the  Lord's 
throne  is  in  heaven,,"  Psalm  xi.  4.  Look  only  with  David  at  the 
outside  of  heaven,  and  with  him  ye  will  wonder  at  its  splendour^ 
Psalm  viii.  4,  how  then  will  the  inmost  rooms  transport  the  soul  I 
No  mun,  while  he  is  yet  in  this  mortal  body,  can  conceive  the  glory 
of  heaven,  and  therefore  it  is  exhibited  to  him  only  imperfectly,  un- 
der the  figure  of  whatever  is  esteemed  precious  on  earth,  bee  Rev. 
xxi.  9 — 27,  That  on  which  God  hath  exercised  his  skill  must  be 
fair  and  glorious  indeed,  but  "  heaven  is  a  city  which  hath  founda- 
tions, whose  builder  and  maker  is  God,  Heb.  xi.  10. 

3.  If  there  be  aught  that  is  disagreeable  to  the  people  of  God  at 
present,  -t  is  that  God's  gracir>us  intercourse  with  them  is  usually  of 
suca  a  short  continuance  :  but  in  heaven  it  will  be  everlasting  with- 
out end.  It  will  be  an  everlasting  life  :  "  At  God's  right  hand  there 
are  pleasures  for  evermore,"  Psalm  xvi.  11.  "  We  shall  be  for  ever 
with  the  Lord,"  1  Thess.  iv.  IT.  Although  the  Lord  loves  the  be- 
lieving soul  always,  and  until  the  end,  there  are  nevertheless  many 
intermissions  in  the  displays  of  his  love  ;  but  it  will  not  be  so  in 
glory  :  the  blessed  soul  will  be  continually  and  incessantly  laden  with 
the  lovingkindness  of  God,  so  that  she  will  praise  him  continually, 
and  "  will  have  no  rest  day  nor  night,"  Rev.  iv.  8.  Think  not,  ye 
prisoners  of  hope,  that  ye  will  be  weary  of  it,  as  Israel  was  of  the 
manna,  or  that  ye  will  not  be  able  to  sustain  that  allsufficient  good  ; 
for  ye  will  always  have  something  new :  "  Jesus  will  drink  new 
wine  with  you  in  the  kingdom  of  his  Father,"  Matt.  xxvi.  29.  Ye 
will  also  have  more  enlarged  capacities,  and  be  more  able  to  receive 
the  supreme  revelation  and  influences  of  the  Almighty.  Ye  cannot 
now  sustain  his  extraordinary  embraces,  and  the  extraordinary  influ- 


THIS  LIFE.         XXII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  s7,  as.         453 

»;nce  of  his  grace  a  long  time,  but  it  would  dissolve  you,  as  the  most 
brittle  substance :  but  "  ye  who  are  sown  in  weakness,  will  be  raised 
in  power,  incorruptible  and  immortal,"  1  Cor.  xv.  43,  53. 

Though  all  the  blessed  will  be  completely  filled  with  the  glory  of 
God,  there  will  nevertheless  be  degrees  of  glory,  and  one  will  enjoy 
more  than  another  ;  "  For  there  is  one  glory  of  the  sun,  and  another 
glory  of  the  moon,  and  another  glory  of  the  stai-s  ;  for  one  star  dif- 
fereth  from  another  star  in  glory  :  so  also  is  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead,"  Thus  speaks  Paul,  1  Cor.  xv.  41,  42.  For  there  will  be 
degrees  of  punishment,  as  we  are  taught.  Matt.  xi.  20—24.  Luke 
xiv.  47,  48,  as  there  are  also  degrees  of  sin  and  sanctification,  John 
xix.  11.  I  Cor.  XV.  10. 

It  is  projDer  to  inquire  here  whether  the  blessed  will  know  in 
heaven  their  friends,  whom  they  knew  best  in  this  life.  We  cannot 
decide  this  question  positively ;  we  only  know  that  the  relation, 
which  subsists  here  between  parents  and  children,  husband  and  wife, 
rulers  and  subjects,  will  not  have  place  in  heaven  ;  for  "  the  Lord 
Jesus  will  put  down  all  rule,  and  all  authority  and  power,"  1  Cor. 
XV.  24-.  We  know  also  that  all  the  blessed  will,  as  blessed,  know 
each  other  with  the  sweetest  and  with  a  familiar  love,  on  account  of 
the  work  of  grace,  as  soon  as  it  appears,  because  "  they  have  one 
heart,  and  one  way  to  fear  the  Lord,"  Jer.  xxxiii.  39.  It  appears 
also  clearly,  that  the  blessed  rulers  of  the  church  will  be  known  in 
lit-aven  ;  for  they  will  excel  others  in  glory,  D^n.  xiii.  3.  The  Lord 
promiseth  that  we  shall  '*  sit  down  with  Abiahara,  Isaac  and  Jacob," 
Matt.  viii.  1 1.  We  shall  nut  be  able  to  know  whether  this  promise 
be  fulfilled,  unless  we  know  those  great  saints :  this  matter  appears 
still  more  probable,  since  the  apostle  knew  the  glorified  r^Ioses  and 
Eiias,  Matt.  xvii.  3,  4. 

2.  Having  seen  thus  wherein  everlasting  life  consists,  it  behooves 
us  to  know  also  how  it  is  communicated.  But  of  this  we  shall  not 
speak  at  present,  because  v/e  have  shov/n  on  the  eleventh  Lords  day 
lliat  the  Lord  Jesus,  ha\ing  purchased  salvation  by  his  sufferings 
and  obedience,  applies  and  communicates  it  also,  both  in  this  life  by 
all  the  blessings  and  benefits  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  after  this 
life,  first  in  the  death  of  behevers,  and  afterwards  in  their  blessed 
resurrection. 

The  children  of  God  ought  to  believe  and  be  assured,  and  present 
it  as  it  were  before  their  eyes,  that  such  an  everlasting  fife  is  to  be 
expected,  like  "  ?rIoses,  who  had  a  respect  to  the  recompence  of  ti^e 
reward  by  faith,"  Keb.  xi,  26-  Great  and  many  are  the  grounds,  on 
which   believers  may  estabiish   their   hopes.     Ail   the   arguments 


454         THE  BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AFTER 

which  prove  the  resurrection,  may  also  assure  them  of  everlasting 
life  ;  but  they  may  be  certain  of  it  more  especially,  "  because  they 
now  feel  in  their  hearts  the  beginning  of  eternal  joy,"  as  the  in- 
structor speaks.  The  beginnings  of  eternal  joy  are,  (a)  that  clear 
and  heavenly  discovery,  which  the  Lord  God  makes  of  himself,  of 
his  Son,  and  of  his  mysteries  to  the  soul,  whereby  she  sees  the  effi- 
cacy of  each  word  and  of  each  matter,  and  is  influenced  to  wonder, 
joy  and  praise  on  account  of  it :  "  The  king  leads  her  into  his 
chambers,"  bong  i.  4,  and  thus  Jesus  reveals  himself  in  his  love  to 
them  who  love  him,  John  xiv.  21.  (b)  An  actual  enjoyment  of  the 
heavenly  benefiis,  which  proceed  from  the  throne  of  God,  so  that 
the  believer  '' eats  of  the  hidden  manna,"  Rev.  ii  17.  He  fines  a 
table  spread  within  him>  and  "  he  eats  with  Jeiiis,  and  Jesus  with 
him,"  Rev.  iii.  20.  And  he  is  wonderfully  entertained,  satisfied,  and, 
as  it  were,  made  drunk  with  his  heavenly  viands,  Sonty  v.  1  •  Jer. 
xxxi.  12,  13,  14,  and  Jesus  bestows  on  him  abundantly  the  kisses  of 
his  love,  his  caresses,  and  the  embraces  of  his  everlasting  arms, 
Song  i.  2.  ii  3 — 6.  The  soul  seems  to  herself  hereby  to  be  already 
elevated  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  above  this  mortal  scene,  (c) 
Further  these  first  beginnings  consist  in  the  assurarxe  which  be- 
lievers obtain  of  tiieir  blessed  hope  ;  either  the  Spirit  of  God  dis- 
covereth  to  them  the  work  of  grace  in  their  souls,  "  showing  them 
the  things,  ,  vvnich  are  freely  given  them  of  God,"  and  thus 
"  bearing  witness  with  their  spirits,  that  they  are  the  children  of 
God,"  acco-dm:^-  to  Rom.  viii.  15  ;  or  the  Lord  effects  in  a  gentle 
manner  a  tranquil  peace  and  calmness  in  the  heart,  and  so  "  the 
pe:ce  of  God  surpasseth  all  their  understanding,"  Philip,  iv.  7,  or  he 
influences  them  m  a  more  exalted  and  more  affecting  manner,  or  in 
a  more  rational  and  less  affecting  manner  by  exercises  of  faith,  which 
sometimes  excite  in  them  a  joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory,  1 
Peter  i.  8. 

Since  now  believers  feel  these  beginnings  in  their  hearts,  they 
may  be  assured,  tliat  they  will  possess  such  an  eternal  life.  Because 
(a)  these  beginnings  are,  as  it  were,  the  first  fruits,  which  sanctify 
the  harvest  of  eternal  life,  as  the  real  property  of  believers.  To  this 
the  apostle  hath  respect,  Rom.  viii.  23.  (b)  These  beginnings  are 
«'  those  better  things,  which  accompany  salvation,"  as  Paul  speaks, 
Heb.  vi  9  (c)  They  are  also  the  evidences  of  the  love  of  God  and 
Christ ;  for  thus  "  the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  the  hearts"  of 
those  whom  he  loves,  and  so  '^  their  hope"  of  everlasting  life  ''  can- 
not make  theAi  ashamed,"  Rom=  v.  5. 


THIS  LIFE,        XXII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  sf,  58,        455 


APPLICATIONa 

That  now  the  resurrection  to  eternal  life  may  be  profitable  to  liSj 
it  will  be  useful,  that  each  of  us  should  impress  upon  his  mind,  that 
there  will  also  be  a  resurrection  to  eternal  damnation  :  and  not  only 
this,  but  that  the  smallest  number  will  rise  to  salvation,  and  the 
greatest  member  to  damnation,  as  we  have  shown  on  the  seventh 
Lord's  day.  And  therefore  it  will  be  necessary,  that  each  one  should 
also  inquire  concerning  himself,  what  will  become  of  him  at  the 
last  day .  We  should  show  here  who  will,  and  who  will  not  be  raised 
up  to  salvation  ;  but  as  we  have  done  this  largely  enough  on  the 
seventh  and  eighth  Lord's  days,  we  should  forbear  at  present ;  yel 
since  the  instructor  founds  his  hope  upon  a  feeling  of  the  beginning 
of  eternal  joy,  and  temporary  believers  also  arc  after  their  mannef 
**  enlightened,  taste  of  the  heavenly  gift,  are  made  partakers  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  taste  the  good  word  of  God,  and  the  powers  of  the 
world  to  come,"  Heb.  vi.  4,  5,  and  since  this  greatly  weakens  the 
expectation  of  true  believers,  and  confirms  temporary  believers  ex- 
ceedingly in  their  imaginations,  we  will  therefore  exhibit  the  differ- 
ence between  true  and  temporary  believers  in  this  respect. 

1.  The  true  believer,  feeling  the  beginning  of  eternal  joy  in  his 
heart,  becomes  humble  and  lowly,  abases  himself,  and  sinks  into 
nothing  in  his  own  estimation  ;  he  wonders  and  is  amazed,  that  God 
will  even  look  at  such  a  base  and  vile  wretch,  as  he  sees  himself 
with  shame  to  be  :  he  saith  with  Jacob,  Gen^  xxxii.  10.  "I  am  not 
worthy  of  the  least  of  all  these  mercies,  and  of  all  this  truth  ;"  and 
with  David,  2  Sam.  vii,  18.  "  Who  am  I,  O  Lord  God,  and  what 
is  my  house,  that  thou  hast  brought  me  hitherto  ?"  But  the  tempo- 
rary believer  becomes  proud  and  haughty  in  consequence  of  his  ex- 
ercises, and  thinks  that  he  must  be  some  great  one  ;  he  speaks 
therefore  loftily,  is  too  wise  for  everyone,  he  behaves  himself  im- 
periously, and  requires  that  every  one  should  esteem  him  an  ex- 
ceedingly spiritual  and  advanced  Christian.  Such  a  puffer  Caiaphas 
showed  himself  to  be,  when  "  he  prophesied  that  Jesus  should  die 
for  the  people,"  John  xi.  49,  50,  51. 

2.  The  true  believer  feels  this  be^^inning  of  eternal  joy  in  his 
heart,  that  is  the  seat  of  his  work  of  grace  and  joy,  and  from  that  do 
all  his  good  motions  proceed  to  the  praise  of  the  Lord  ;  yea,  on 
this  account  he  endeavours  to  converse  with  his  heart,  that  he  may 
abide  in  the  love  of  God  :  "  The  peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  un- 
derstanding, keeps  his  heart  and  mind,"  Philip,  iv.  7,  yea,  "  it  rules 


4:5fe  THE  BENEFiTS  GPTHE  CHURCH  AFTE^, 

in  l.is  heart,"  Coll.  iii.  15.  But  t lie  temporary  believer  derives  his 
joy  from  superficial  miUters,  the  contemplation  of  the  lovtly  myste- 
ries (if  God  tickles  him,  and  excites  an  agreeable  emotion  of  his 
^iood  and  spirits;  but  the  word  never  penetrates  into  his  heart,-  so 
as  to  captivate  and  possess  it :  "  he  receives  the  word  indeed  anon 
with  joy  i  yet  hath  he  not  root  in  himself,"  Matt.  xiii.  20,  21. 

3.  The  beginning  of  eternal  joy  is  wrought  in  the  true  believer. 
hy  the  Spirit  of  God  :  "  His  hope  doth  not  make  him  a-ihamed,  be- 
cause the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  his  heart  by  the  Holy  Ghostj 
Who  is  given  unto  him  "  Rom.  v.  5.  He  knows  not  how  to  enlighten, 
or  to  enliven  himself,  but  he  seeks,  calls,  and  waits  for  the  Spirit, 
iike  David,  Psuhn  li.  8,  12.  "  Make  me  to  hear  joy  and  gladness  ; 
restore  unto  me  the  joy  of  thy  salvation."  It  must  be  just  the  fire 
of  God's  altar  that  kindles  him,  and  causeth  him  to  flame  forth  with 
joy.  On  the  contrary,  the  joy  of  the  temporary  believer  is  a  work 
of  his  ov.'n,  he  imagines  this  and  that  precious  frame  of  the  people  of 
God,  he  urges  and  forces  his  passions  thither,  and  so  a  certain  self- 
wrought  joy,  or  rather  imagmation  of  joy  ariseth  in  him ;  or  he 
imagines  wdthout  foundation  that  he  is  a  believer,  a  favourite  of  God, 
and  a  partaker  of  heaven,  with  v/hich  he  is  wonderfully  tickled  and 
pleased.  And  so  '•  he  kindles  a  fire  himself,  compasses  himself  about 
v/ith  sparks,  walks  in  the  light  of  his  fire,  and  in  the  sparks  which 
he  iiath  kindled :"  but  "  this  he  shall  have  of  the  Lord's  hand,"  and 
a  judicial  blindness,  "  he  shall  lie  down  in  sorrow,"  Jer.  1.  1 1. 

4.  The  beginning  of  this  joy  of  the  true  believer  is  in  God,  and 
in  his  favour  :  "  My  soul  shall  rejoice  in  the  Lord,"  said  David, 
Psalm  XXXV  9.  It  wafts  his  soul  to  God,  unites  it  to  him,  it  finds 
its  rest,  quiet  and  satisfaction  in  him,  and  in  his  love,  and  in  nought 
else  :  "  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  thee  ?  and  there  is  none  upon 
earth  that  I  desire  beside  thee.  My  flesh  and  my  heart  faileth  ;  but 
God  is  the  strength  of  my  heart,  and  my  portion  for  ever,"  said 
Asaph,  Psalm  Ixxiii.  25,26.  We  see  this  also,  Heb.  iii.  17,  18.. 
But  the  temporary  believer  rejoices  iii  himself,  because  he  is  so  wise, 
virtuous  and  accomplished,  and  all  his  exercises  are  without  God  ;. 
he  wonders  at  himself,  like  Balaam,  Numb.  xxiv.  3,  4.  "  He  took 
up  his  parable  and  said,  l^ab.am  the  son  of  Beor,  hath  said,  and  the. 
man  whose  eyes  are  op^^n  hath  said  ;  he  hath  said,  who  heard. the 
words  of  (iod,  who  saw  the  visions  of  the  Almighty,  falling  into  a 
trance  but  having  his  eyes  open." 

5.  Finally,  this  joy  renders  tl^e  true  believer  also  holy ;  he  sees 
nothing  now  but  holiness  in  God,  and  he  will  be  holy,  as  the  Lord 
is  holy  ;  ;he  discovery  which    God  makes  of  himself  to  him,  pro- 


THIS  LIFE.        XXIf.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  57,  58.    '  A.5f 

^uceth  a  likeness  to  God  in  his  soul :  "  he  is  changed  into  the  same 
image,"  2  Cor.  iii  18.  Because  he  kiT^s  that  indulging  himsc'f  la 
sin  would  cause  God  to  hide  his  countenance  from  liim,  thciefure 
he  is  exceedingly  careful  of  defihng  himself.  Yea,  this  deligh  ,  and 
this  feeling  of  the  beginning  of  eternal  joy  detaches  him  fiom  sin, 
and  transports  his  soul  into  heaven,  that  he  may  have  his  conversa- 
tion there  only,  Philip,  iii.  19.  Observe  the  temporary  believer,  he 
is  sinful  and  vain  in  proportion  to  his  joy  ;  he  can  aow  do  any  thmg, 
though  ever  so  sinful,  without  any  anxiety,  if  otners  do  not  see  it, 
and  reproach  him  for  it :  doth  his  conscience  fly  m  his  face,  he  stifles 
it,  and  endeavours  to  silence  it,  he  will  not  allow  himself  to  suspect 
his  state  of  grace,  but  thinks,  once  a  gracious  person,  always  a  gra- 
cious person.  And  so  he  is  brought,  though  not  immediately,  to 
the  gieatest  and  vilest  sins  in  pubhck,  waxing  worse,  a  .d  becoming 
more  impenitent  than  before.  See  this,  Heb.  vi.  6,  7,  8,  x.  26 — 29. 
2  Peter  ii.  20,  21,  22. 

Alas  I  ye  who  hear  this,  and  have  not  yet  a  true,  but  only  a  fanci- 
ed foretaste  of  heaven,  a  shadow,  a  waking  dream,  see,  we  pray  you, 
how  dreadfully  ye  deceive  yourselves  ;  and  *'  recover  yourselves  yet 
out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil,  in  which  ye  are  taken  captive  by  him 
at  his  will ;"  for  if  ye  remain  as  ye  are,  ye  "  will  awake  to  shame 
and  everlasting  contempt,"  Dan.  xii.  2.  How  grievous  will  it  be 
for  you  to  fall  short  of  that  blessed  life,  for  which  ye  had  hoped, 
though  in  vain  !  friends,  what  a  dreadful  mistake  will  it  be,  to  ex- 
pect to  go  to  heaven,  and  to  be  sent  to  that  bottomless  gulph  of  per- 
dition, with  a  Balaam,  a  Judas,  and  a!l  the  hypocrites  !  how  intolera- 
ble will  it  be !  Therefore  return,  we  beseech  you;  "let  him  who 
thinketh  that  he  is  wise  become  a  fool,  thai  he  may  be  wise,"  I 
Cor.  iii.   18. 

But  shall  not  these  wise,  enlightened,  and  apparently  virtuous  per- 
sons be  raised  up  to  salvation,  how  then,  think  ye,  will  it  f^r-  with 
you,  who  are  ignorant,  worldly-minded,  ungodly,  and  at  b-  st  only 
civil,  and  outwardly  religious  ?  can  ye  think  that  God  will  raise  you 
up  to  salvation,  if  he  should  deal  with  you  according  to  his  word,  as 
he  will  deal  with  you  ?  do  ye  hope  that  he  will  ?  have  ye  any  ground 
for  your  hope  ?  are  ye  born  again,  and  converted  ?  do  ye  be lif^ve, 
and  are  ye  holy  ?  for  such,  and  no  others,  shall,  according  to  the 
word  of  God,  see  his  kingdom.  Therefore  be  solicitous  to  know- 
how  ye  may  be  saved,  be  more  concerned,  we  pray  you,  about  your 
salvation  and  damnation,  and  -^  labour  not  for  tiie  meat  that  perish- 
eth,  but  for  that  meat  which  endureth  to  everlasting  life,"  John  vi. 
27.     Surely,  everlasting  life  is  worthy,  that  ye  should  do  more  for 

3  O 


458         Th^:  BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AFTER 

it,  and  think  more  of  it  than  ye  have  hitherto  done  :  therefore  re-- 
cover from  your  carelessness  :  "  Awake,  thou  that  sleeptst,  and  arise 
from  the  dead,  and  Christ  shall  ^ive  thee  ligiu,"  Eph.  v.  14. 

Bui,  true  believers,  who  have  this  great  expectation  cf  a  blessed 
resurrection  to  an  everlasting  life  with  God,  manifest  it  in  your  con* 
Versation.     And  therefore. 

I.  Believe  tliat  there  will  indeed  be  such  a  resurrection  and  ever- 
lasting- life  for  those  who  seek  the  Lord.  It  is  not  enough  to  sup- 
pose this  as  a  truth  :  no,  we  must  with  elevated  minds  assure  our** 
selves  of  it,  and  obtain  a  clear  apprehension  of  it  from  the  testimony 
of  God,  so  that  these  two  great  benefits,  v/hich  are  yet  afar  off,  may 
beam,  in  a  lively  manner,  and  as  if  present,  in  our  eyes  :  for  *' faith 
is  the  substance  ot  things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen," 
Heb.  xi.  1.  So  '^  Moses  had  by  faith  respect  to  the  recompence  of 
the  reward,"  Heb.  xi.  8  Because  we  attend  so  little  to  this,  there- 
fore all  our  exertions,  with  respect  to  this  great  future  salvation  arc 
so  languid,  slothful,  and  sluggish,  so  that  they  have  no  influence 
upon  the  exercises  of  the  soul. 

2.  Believe  for  yourselves,  O  believers,  that  ye  yourselves  will  be 
raitied  up,  in  order  to  enjoy  everlasting  life.  So  Job  and  Paul 
acted,  Job  xix.  25,  26,  27.  2  Tim.  i.  12.  Ye  cannot  otherwise 
rejoice,  or  praise  the  Lord,  or  conduct  worthily  of  that  glory  which 
shall  be  revealed  in  you.  Do  ye  think  that  it  is  safest  for  you  to 
doubt,  that  ye  may  not  become  careless,  nor  deceive  yourselves  in  a 
matter  of  such  great  importance,  let  the  Papists  say  that  such  an 
assurance  would  render  a  person  careless,  but  do  not  ye,  who  pro- 
fess a  different  doctrine  according  to  the  word  of  God  ;  for  this  as- 
surance would  stir  you  up  to  love  and  serve  God,  and  would  render 
you  fervent  in  spirit.  It  is  true,  we  ought  not  to  assure  ourselves  of 
our  blessed  resurrection,  and  everlasting  life  upon  slender  founda- 
tions, that  we  may  not  deceive  ourselves  with  vain  imaginations : 
but  when  we  have  truly,  heartily  and  frequently  received  Christ  for 
sanctification,  as  well  as  for  glorification,  then  there  is  no  danger  ; 
but  ye  sny,  I  have  never  had  a  foretaste  of  everlasting  life.  Consider 
well,  is  this  indeed  true  ?  is  it  not  a  prejudice  proceeding  from  un- 
belief that  the  consolations  of  God  are  small  with  you  ?  do  ye  know 
nothing  at  all  of  tiie  discovery  of  grace  in  your  souls,  that  ye  do  truly 
hate,  and  oppose  whatever  is  sinful,  that  ye  do  earnestly  call  on  and 
seek  the  Lord,  so  that  this  manifestation  enlivened  you,  and  gave 
you  hope  ?  are  ye  utter  strangers  to  that  calm  and  agreeable  peace 
of  soul  ?  and  tliough  ye  have  not  obtained  such  a  measure  of  grace, 
■^  fills  the  heart,  this  is  no  evidence  that  ye  are  not  interested  in  the 


THIS  LIFE.        XXII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  57,  58.       459 

divine  favour.  Many  heirs  of  everlasting  life  have  not  that  measure. 
It  is  indeed  a  sure  evidence  of  a  blessed  hope  to  those  who  enjoy,  or 
have  enjoyed  it,  because  the  Lord  doth  not  grant  it  to  any  except 
his  favourites ;  but  it  is  no  evidence,  that  others  have  no  right  to 
this  blessed  expectation,  if  they  have  not  experienced  such  a  power 
of  the  divine  favour  ;  for  thea  other  true  believers,  like  Heman  in 
the  eighty  eighth  psalm,  would  have  been  without  hope  ;  and  who 
can  think  this  ?  Therefore,  believers,  inquire  only  whether  your  sins 
excite  sorrow  in  you,  whether  Jesus  be  not  truly  and  actually  pre- 
cious to  you,  and  whether  ye  do  not  love  the  brethren,  and  thus 
manifest,  that  ye  have  passed  from  death  to  life. 

3.  Wonder,  triumph  and  rejoice  now  in  this  hope  and  expectation 
of  such  a  future  glory.  So  David  acted,  when  he  said  to  the  Lord, 
Psalm  xxxi.  19,  <"  O  how  great  is  thy  goodness,  which  thou  hast 
laid  up  for  them  that  fear  thee  1"  Paul  speaking  in  the  name  of  all 
the  saints,  saith,  Rom*  v.  2.  "  We  rejoice  in  t-he  hope  of  the  g'ory 
of  God."  Peter  said  to  the  believers  of  his  time,  *'  In  whom,"  namely 
Jesus  Christ,  "  though  now  ye  see  him  not,  yet  believing  ye  rejoice 
with  joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory  ;  receiving  the  end  of  your 
faith,  even  the  salvation  of  your  souls,"  1  Peter  i.  8,  9,  Is  not  the 
blessed  resurrectioa  and  everlasting  life  worthy  of  our  wonder,  tri- 
\imph,  and  joy  ?  Consider  only  what  such  imwortby  beings  as  ye  are 
shall  enjoy,  and  will  it  not  ravish  you,  and  transport  you  so  that  ye 
will  shout  and  give  thanks  to  God  in  the  most  exalted  strains  ? 

4.  Let  this  great  expectation  also  render  you  courageous  in  your 
duty.  It  becomes  you  to  deny  yourselves,  your  inclnatinns,  all  that 
is  earthly,  and  selfish-  It  is  no  more  than  proper  that  ye  should  bear 
willingly  every  cross  and  affliction,  which  the  Lord  layeth  upon  you ; 
and  it  is  your  duty  to  conduct  yourselves  in  all  things  according  to 
the  will  of  God.  And  is  not  this  glory,  which  we  expect,  worthy  of 
our  utmost  doing  and  suffering  ?  must  an  heir  of  such  a  salvation 
have  his  own  will  also,  that  which  is  earthly,  his  erise,  and  his  sins? 
No,  Moses  was  wiser  than  this?  Heb.  xi  24,  25,  26.  "  fie  refused 
to  be  called  the  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter ;  choosing  rather  to  suf- 
fer affliction  with  the  people  of  God,  than  to.  enjoy  the  pleasures  of 
sin  for  a  season  ;  esteeming  the  reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches 
than  the  treasures  of  Egypt :  for  he  had  respect  unto  the  recom- 
pence  of  the  reward."  This  glory  ought  surely  to  encourage  you  in 
every  condition  ;  "  for  our  light  affliction,  which  is  but  for  a  moment,^ 
M'orketh  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory  ; 
while  v/e  look  not  at  the  things  which  are  seen,  but  at  the  things 
v/hich  are  not  seen  !  for  the  things  which  are  seen  are  temporaJ  ? 


460         THE  BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AFTER 

but  the  things  that  are  not  seen  are  eternal,"  2  Cor.  iv.  17,  18, 
*'  Wherefore,'  we  receivinpj  a  kingdom  which  cannot  be  moved,  let 
us  have  grace,  whereby  we  may  serve  God  acceptably,  with  rever- 
ence and  godly  fear ;"  so  I  speak  with  Paul,  Heb.  xii.  28. 

5.  Long  for  that  blessed  resurrection,  and  that  everlasting  life  : 
"  My  reins,"  cried  Job,  '*  long  exceedingly  within  me,"  chap.  xix. 
27.  "  He  who  testifieth  these  things  saith.  Surely  I  come  quickly, 
Amen.  Even  so,  come  Lord  Jesus,"  Rev.  xxii.  20.  The  apostle 
saith  of  himself,  and  of  believers,  2  Cor.  v.  3.  "  In  this  we  groan 
earnestly,  desirmg  to  be  clothed  upon  with  our  house  which  is  from 
heaven."  Why  should  a  Christian  cling  to  aught  that  is  here  ?  this 
country  shall  not  be  his  rest  ;  his  goods,  his  life  is  not  here  :  let  the 
wurldJmg,  who  hath  no  hope  in  futurity,  settle  iiimself  here  ;  but 
citizens  of  heaven,  saints  of  the  high  places,  "  ye  have  no  continuing 
cny  here,  but  must  seek  one  to  come,"  Heb.  xiii.  14.  There,  even 
there  wiii  ye  be  delivered  from  whatever  afiiicts  you  now,  and  enjoy 
tile  only  satisfying  good.  This  loadstone  should  draw  your  desires 
and  loUfj-iags  toward  it :  therefore  "  look  for  and  hasten  to  the  com- 
ing of  the  day  of  God,"  2  Peter  iii.  12,  Let  your  longing  never- 
theless oe  accompanied  with,  and  moderated  by  patience  :  ybuv 
longmg  ought  not  to  be  a  peevish  fretfulness  on  account  of  your  ad- 
versities, but  an  earnest  desire,  arising  from  the  greatness  of  the 
goodness,  which  the  Lord  hath  laid  up  for  them  who  fear  him,  and 
submit  themselves  to  him,  who  hath  the  times  and  seasons  in  his 
own  hands.  Be  willing  therefore  "  to  serve  the  counsel  of  God," 
with  David,  "  before  ye  fall  asleep,"  in  hope  of  a  resurrection  to 
everlasting  life,  Acts  xiii.  36. 

6.  In  the  mean  time  endeavour  to  obtain  a  foretaste,  and  a  feeling 
of  the  begmning  of  eternal  joy,  and  to  enjoy  it  often,  and  more  and 
more.  This  was  the  petition  of  the  church.  Psalm  cvi.  4,  5.  "  He- 
member  me,  O  Lord,  with  the  favour  that  thou  bearest  unto  thy 
people  :  O  visit  me  with  thy  salvation ,  that  I  may  see  the  good  of 
thy  chosen,  that  I  may  rejoice  in  the  gladness  of  thy  nation  ;  that  I 
may  glory  with  thine  inheritance."  There  cannot  be  a  sadder  case, 
than  that  the,  heirs  of  that  fruitful  country  dwell,  like  the  rebellious, 
in  a  barren  land.  Let  then  your  "  souls  thirst  for  God.  for  the  liv- 
ing God,"  as  the  soul  of  David  did.  Psalm  xUi.  1,  2.  Believe  in,  ind 
improve  your  title  to  the  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises  of 
the  covenant  of  grace,  suck  from  them,  and  breathe  in  him,  in  whom 
dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  grace  ;  yea,  live  and  feast  on  all  the  bless- 
ings which  he  h  th  purchased  and  promised  you,  that  your  "souls 
may  be  saiisfied  with  mariow  and  fatness,  and  your  mouths  may 


THIS  LIFE.     XXII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  57,  5d.     ^    461 

praise  him  with  joyful  lips,"  Psalm  Ixiii,  5,  And  when  ye  enjoy 
good  in  tlie  days  of  prosperity,  remember  then  also  the  days  of  ad- 
versity, laying  up  something  against  them,  and  feeding  then  on  it, 
"considering  the*  days  of  old,"  with  Asaph,  Psalm  Ixxvii.  6.  It  will 
also  be  good  to  endeavour  to  continue  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  lor- 
ingkindness  of  the  Lord,  and  to  "  abide  in  his  love,  and  thus  to  ex- 
pect the  mercy  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  everlasting  life."  It 
behooves  you  therefore  to  conduct  yourselves  tenderly  and  circum- 
spectly, that  he  may  not  depart  from  you  with  his  goodness :  "  Let 
your  conversation  be  in  heaven,  from  whence  ye  look  for  the  Sa- 
viour," Phihp.  iii.  20.  And  endeavour  in  all  things  to  know  the 
will  of  the  Lord,  and  to  do  his  commandments,  that  he  rnay  con- 
tinue to  favour  you  with  his  kindness.  This  our  Saviour  requlrefh, 
John  XV.  9,  10.  "As  the  P'ather  hath  loved  me,  so  have  I  loved 
you  ;  continue  ye  in  my  love.  If  ye  keep  my  commandments,  yc 
shall  abide  in  my  love  ;  even  as  J  have  kept  my  Father's  command- 
ments, and  abide  in  his  love.  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto 
you,  that  my  joy  might  remain  in  you,  and  that  your  joy  might 
be  full." 

7.  Do  not  sorrow  too  much,  when  your  godly  friends  die,  as 
though  they  were  lost  for  ever.  They  arc  not  dead  with  respect  to 
their  best  part,  their  soul ;  no,  that  was  imm.ediately  taken  up  to 
Christ  their  Head  :  will  ye  then  mourn  so  much  en  account  of  their 
happiness .''  have  ye  nevertheless  lost  them  ;  ye  will  recover  them 
again  for  ever ;  they  have  died,  not  to  remain  dead,  but  lo  live,  to 
live  a  better  life,  than  before  their  death  ;  for  they  vAll  be  raised  up 
in  a  conformity  to  the  glorious  body  of  your  Lord,  and  then  live  for 
ever.  So  Paul  comforts  those  who  remain,  when  he  saith,  1  Thess. 
iv.  13,  14,  "  I  would  not  have  you  to  be  ignorant,  brethren,  concern- 
ing them  which  are  asleep,  that  ye  sorrow  not  as  others  which 
have  no  hope.  For  if  we  believe  that  Jesus  died,  and  rose  again, 
even  so  them  also  v/hich  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him." 
Finally, 

8.  As  ye  ought  not  to  sorrow  too  much  for  the  death  of  your 
godly  friends,  so  ye  ought  not  neither  to  dread  your  own  death  too 
much.  Death  is  net  a  king  of  terrours  to  the  heirs  of  the  promises, 
as  he  is  to  the  ungodly,  but  he  must  shov/  a  smiling  and  friendly 
fare  to  you.  He  will  come  only  to  loosen  your  cords  of  sins  and 
miseries,  that  he  mr.y  let  you  ily  free  out  of  your  cage  in  the  open 
air  of  the  third  heaven*  Ye  say,  it  is  nevertheless  a  bitter  thing 
to  die  ;  it  is  true,  but  itia  not  always  zo,  neither  doth  it  .endure  long  : 


46*  THE  BENEFITS  OF  THE  CHURCH,  &g. 

and  although  it  may  be  exceedingly  grievous,  the  dying  person  carj 
strengthen  himself  against  it  by  the  consideration,  that  this  mortal 
must  be  dissolved  in  such  a  manner,  in  order  "  to  put  on  incormp- 
tion,  and  immortality,"  that  it  m..y  live  for  ever,  and  that  "  then,'* 
according  to  1  Cor.  xv.  54 — 57,  "shall  be  brought  to  pass  the  say- 
ing that  is  written,  Death  is  swallovi^ed  up  in  victory.  O  death, 
where,  is  thy  sting  ?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?  The  sting  of 
death  is  sin  ;  and  the  strength  of  sin  is  the  law  :  but  thanks  be  la 
God,  which  giveth  us  victory  thrcugh  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,." 
Amen. 


<  463  ) 


THE 


JUSTIFICATION 


OF  THE 


SINNER  BEFORE  GOD 


XXni.  LORD'S  DAY. 


Rom.  iv.  5.  But  to  him  that  worketh  not,  but  believeth  in  him  that 
justifieth  the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for  righteousness. 

Q,  59.  But  what  doth  it  profit  thee  noiv^  that  thou  believest  all  this  ? 

A.  That  I  am  righteous  in  Christ  before  God,  and  an  heir  of 
eternal  life. 

Q.  60.  Hoti)  art  thou  righteous  before  God? 

A.  Only  by  a  true  faith  in  Jesus  Christ ;  so  that  though  my  con- 
science accuse  me,  that  I  have  grossly  transgressed  all  the  com- 
mandments of  God,  and  kept  none  of  them,  and  am  still  mclined 
to  all  evil,  notwithstanding  God,  without  any  merit  of  mine,  but 
only  of  mere  grace,  grants  and  imputes  to  me  the  perfect  satisfac- 
tion, righteousness  and  holiness  of  Christ ;  even  so,  as  if  I  never  had 
had,  nor  committed  any  sin  ;  yea,  as  if  I  had  fully  accomplished 
all  that  obedience,  which  Christ  hath  accomplished  for  me,  inas- 
much as  I  embrace  such  a  benefit  with  a  believing  hearts 


454  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNER 

Q    61.   W/iy  saycst  thuu^  tfiat  thou  art  righteous  by  faith  only  ? 

A.  Not  that  I  am  acceptable  to  God  on  account  of  the  worthiness 
of  iTiy  faith  ;  but  only  because  the  satisfaction,  righteousness  and  hi> 
liness  of  Christ  is  my  righteousness  before  God,  and  that  I  cai  not 
receive  and  apply  the  same  lo  myself  any  other  way  than  by  faith 
only. 


A: 


MONG  the  various  titles,  with  which  faith  is  adorned  in  the 
word  of  God,  the  most  goodly  is  that  ol  *  precious  faith,"  2  Peter  i.  1, 
Faiih  is  precious,  inasmuch  as  it  doth  not  belong  to  ail  men,  but  only 
to  tlie  precious  elect  of  God,  for  "  all  men  have  not  faith,"  2  Thes. 
iii.  2,  hui  only  '*  the  elect  of  God,"  Titus  i.  1.  Faith  is  precious  in 
itself,  for  it  denies  its  own  mgcnuity  and  reason,  that  it  may  acknowl- 
edge the  invisible  God  upon  his  single  declaration  to  be  true,  and 
rtiay  rest  in  his  revelation  with  respect  to  future  and  invisible  things. 
It  "  receives  the  testimony  of  God,  and  sets  to  its  seal  that  God  is 
true,"  John  iii,  33.  "  It  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped,  for,  and 
the  evidence  of  things  not  seen,"  Heb.  xi.  1.  Moreover,  faith  is  pre- 
cious, because  it  hath  the  most  precious  objects  of  its  holy  nature, 
exceedingly  great  and  precious  promises,"  2  Peter  i.  4.  The  Triune 
God,  all  his  blessed  and  profound  mysteries,  ;'  all  things  which  are 
written  in  the  law  and  the  prophets,"  Acts  xxiv,  14,  which  the  be- 
lieving sou!  contenjplates  and  embraceth,  and  which  fill  her  full, 
with  "  ali  the  fulness  of  God,"  Eph  iii.  18,  l- .  And  will  ye  have 
more  ?  Faith  is  precious  also,  because  it  is  so  profitable  and  advan- 
Uigeous"  to  the  person  who  possesses  it.  It  unites  him  to  God  and 
Christ,  whom  it  causes  to  *' dwell  in  his  heart,"  Eph,  iii.  17.  "It 
gives  him  power  to  become  a  son  of  God,  Jol\n  i  12.  "  It  cleanses 
tCiQ  heart,"  Arts  xv.  9.  It  renders  prayer  effectual,  so  that ''  it  saves 
the  sick,"  James  V.  15.  "It  overcomes  the  world,"  1  John,  v.  4, 
It  can  do  all  things  ;  *'  all  things  are  possible  to  him  who  believeth," 
Mark  ix.  23.  See  what  all  the  saints  of  God  have  done  by  faith, 
Heb  xi.  And  that  which  is  the  greatest  and  most  precious  is,  that 
"it  justifieth"  the  guilty  sinner  "before  God  in  Christ,  and  renders 
him  an  heii  of  everlasting  life,"  Thus  speaks  the  instructor,  and 
thus  also  the  word  of  God  speaks,  as  we  will  sho.v  anon. 

The  instructor  doth  not  deem  it  sufficient,  in  order  to  excite  in 
his  pupil  a  relish  for  precious  faith,  to  declare  the  necessity  and  na- 
ture of  it  in  the  seventh  Lord's  day,  and  the  great  object  of  it  from 
the  eighth  to  the  twenty-second  Lord's  day  ;  but  he  proceeds  also 
to  exhibit  the   greatest  advantage  of  fuith,  to  wit,  the  justification  of 


JSETORE  GOO.      XXII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  59—61.     465 

the  sinner  before  God  by  faith  ;  which  he  first  explains  in  this  Lord's 
day,  and  then  defends  in  the  following. 

In  order  to  explain  this  justification  of  the  sinner  before  God,  the 
catecliism  exhibits  four  particulars  : 

I.  It  speaks  of  it  m  general,  Q.  59. 

II.  It  explains  the  manner,  in  which  the  sinneris  justified  by  God, 
Q.  50. 

III.  It  shows  how  we  are  justified  by  faith  only,  Q.  61.     We  will 
add  to  this, 

IV.  The  ciicumstances  and  qualities  oiP  justification. 

L  We  say,  the  catechism  speaks  first  of  justification   in  general, 
showing  "  that  a  person  is  righteous  before  God.  and  an  heir  of  eter- 
nal life  by  faith  in  Christ,"  as  it  speaks  in  the  fifty-ninth  question. 
In  order  to  understand  this  rightly,   we  must  observe   beforehand 
concerning  the  word  "justify,"  that  we  must  not  attend  so  much  to 
the  literal  signification  of  the  word  in  oui  (Low  Dutch)    languae:e, 
nor  to  that  of  the  Latin  word  justi/icare^  as  though  it  intimated   the 
making  of  a  sinful  person  righteous  and  holy,  by  an  infusion  of  holi- 
ness into  him,  as  the  Papists  speak,  when  they  assert  a  first  and  sec- 
ond jusiification,  that  is,  according  to  their  opinion,  a  fiist  and  second 
conversion  ;  for  we  must  seek  for  the  pro})er  import  of  this   word 
and  matter  in  the  word  of  God.  to  which  we  must  submit  ourselves 
in  every  doctrme.     V/e  f.nd  there  in  ihe  Hebrew,  the  word  hitzdik^ 
and  in  the  GvQ^\i  dikaiotm^hoih.  signifying  to  acquit,  and  pronounce  a 
person  righteous  before  a  tribunal.      For  these  words  are   derived 
from  judicatures,  and  are  therefore  opposed   to  accusin'^  and   con- 
demning ;  this  we  see,  Prov,  xvii.  15,  "  Ue  that  justifieth  the  wick- 
ed, and  he  that   condemneth  the  righteous,  even  they  both   are   an 
abomination  to  the  Lord,"     And  in  this  sense  must  we  understand 
this  word   in  all  its  significations,  v^^hether  a  itian  justify  God,  Luke 
vii.  29.  Rom  iii.  4,  or  whether  God  justify  his  Son,  1  Tim.  iii.  17,  or 
whether  he  justify ^man,  as  well  with  respect  to  his  actions  in  them- 
selves. Psalm  cvi.  30,  31,  in  comoarison  with  others,  Ezek.  xvi.   51, 
52j  and  in  opposition  to  others,  1  Kings  viii.  32,  as  with  respect   to 
his  condition,  approving  it  from  his  works,  James  ii.  21 — 25.     And 
so  "  Abraham  and  Rahab  were  justified  by  works."     But  we  will 
not  enlarge  upon  this  subject ;  we  refer  the  curious  reader   to  Wit- 
sius's  ceeonomy  of  the  covenants,    in    the  chapter   on   justification, 
where  he  treats  of  this  matter  both  largely  and  clearly.     We  would 
only  show  that  the  words  justifying,  and  justifying  the  sinner  before 
God,  signify  no  more  than  declaring  him  to  be  righteous,  and  acquit- 
ting him  of  his  guilt,  on  account  of  the  righteousness  of  the  Son  of 


466  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNER 

God,  since  it  is  opposed  here  also  to  accusing  and  condemning. 
This  the  apostle  teacheth  us,  Rom.  viii.  33,  34,  "Who  shall  lay 
any  thing  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect  ?  It  is  God  that  justifieth  : 
who  is  he  that  condemneth  ?  it  is  Christ  that  died."  As  therefore 
accusing  and  condemning  is  not  an  infusion  of  guilt,  and  of  that 
which  deserves  condemnation,  into  a  person,  so  justification  is  not  a 
making  of  a  person  just  or  righteous,  or  an  infusion  of  righteousness 
and  holiness  into  him  Will  any  man  insist  upon  the  word  justify, 
and  say  that  it  signifieth  literally  the  making  of  a  dinner  ria;hteous, 
v/e  will  allow  that  God  makes  the  sinner  righteous  by  justification, 
not  by  infusing  righteousness  and  holiness  into  him  ;  for  that  is  done 
by  sanrtification,  but  by  imputing  to  him,  and  rendering  him  a  par- 
taker of  the  righteousness  of  his  Son,  by  which  he,  who  was  guilty, 
is  acquitted,  and  declared  to  be  entitled  to  eternal  life.  And  that 
this  word  must  be  unders'.ood  so  here,  appe*irs  still  more,  since  to 
justify  tilt"  sinner  is  to  impute  r'glueousness  to  him,  and  to  forgive 
his  sins :  ''  Even  as  David  also,"  according  to  the  words  of  Paul, 
Rom.  iv.  6,  7,  8,  ^  describeth  the  blessedness  of  the  man,  unto  whom 
God  impuieth  righteous;  i?s9  without  works,  saying,  Blessed  are  they 
whose  iniquities  are  forgiven,  whose  sins  are  covered  :  blessed  is  the 
man  to  vthom  the  i.ord  will  not  impute  sin." 

But  that  we  may  understand  the  matter  itself,  we  must  know 
that  man,  in  order  to  be  declared  righteous  by  God,  must  have  ei» 
ther  a  rigiiteousness  of  his  ovvn,  or  the  righteousness  of  Christ. 
AVbich  we  apprehend  thus: 

God  had  entered  into  a  covenant  of  works  with  man,  and  had  de* 
manded  of  him  a  perfect  obedience,  according  to  his  law,  and  had 
promised  that  he  would  bestow  life  upon  him,  if  he  obeyed  ;  but  if 
man  did  not  obey,  he  should  die  :  now  if  man  had  obeyed  perfectly, 
he  v;ould  have  had  a  righteousness  and  a  right  to  demand  life  of 
God,  on  account  of  his  promise  annexed  to  perfect  obedience  ;  and 
thus  God  would  have  justified  him  according  to  his  law.  And  this 
is  the  justification  of  the  law  by  works;  "for  Moses,"  saith  the 
apostle,  Rom.  X.  5,  "describeth  the  righteousness  which  is  of  the 
law,  that  t!ie  man  who  doth  those  things  shall  live  by  them."  Since 
now  man  hath  transgressed  the  law  of  God,  he  cannot  be  justified 
by  his  wo.'ks,  because  he  hath  no  righteousness,  upon  which  he  can 
demand, life  :  "  For  this  the  law  could  not  do,"  saith  Paul,  Rom. 
>iii.  3,  '*  in  that  it  v/as  weak  through  the  flesh."  The  law  condemns 
and  cuiseth  him  ;  "  Now  we  know,"  saith  also  the  same  aposlk* 
Rom.  iii  19,20,  "  that  what  things  soever  the  law  saith,  it  saith  to 
them  wiiC  are  under  the  law  ;  that   every  mouth  may    be   stopped, 


JJi^rORtGOD.     X.^IIi:     LOKD'SDAY.  Q.  59— 61,     467 

and  all  the  world  may  become  i^uilty  before  God.  Therefore  by  the 
deeds  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh  be  justified  in  his  sighi ;  for  by  the 
kavv  is  the  knowledge  of  sin."  See  also  how  he  speaks.  Gal.  iii.  10. 
The  Lord  God  having  nevertheless  not  created  all  men  in  vain, 
made  his  Son  under  the  law  for  the  elect  sinner,  caused  tim  to  !:L'S- 
tain  the  curse  by  his  sufferings,  and  to  fulfil  tie  demand  of  the  law 
by  his  obedience,  that  he  might  satisfy  ti.e  jus  ice  of  (  od,  accorrimg 
to  the  demand  cf  the  law;  and  so  the  Son  of  Gcd  merited  a  right- 
eousness before  God  for  the  sinntr,  in  order  to  aischarge  him  from 
the  cursii,  ond  give  him  a  right  to  life.  See  Rom.  viii.  5,  4.  Whea 
Gad  renders  the  sinner  a  partaker  of  (his  righteousness  of  his  Son, 
and  imputes  it  to  him,  and  he  receives  it  by  faith,  then  God  justifies 
him.  And  so  the  instructor  saith,  "  that  he  is  righteous  in  Christ 
before  God,  and  an  heir  of  eternal  life."  This  is  the  righteousness 
of  the  gospel  and  of  faith,  of  which  Paul  speaks,  Philip  iii.  9,  "  And 
be  found  in  him.  not  having  mine  own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the 
hv/,  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the  righteousness 
which  is  of  God  by  faith."     See  also,  Rom.  iii.  21,  22. 

II.  In  order  to  explain  more  particularly  the  manner  in  v.hich  God 
justifieih  the  sinner,  we  must  observe  that  the  word  justification,  be- 
in^;-  a  forensic  term,  intimates  that  Gcd  deals  in  justificat'on  agreeably 
to  the  customs  of  courts  of  justice,  in  which  the  judges,  when  they  find 
that  the  cited  and  accused  person  is  righteous,  acquit,  and  pronounce 
him  righteous.  And  therefore  we  will  consider  in  God's  judiciary 
procedure  v/ith  the  sinner,  in  order  to  justify  him,  1,  the  Judge, 
2,  tlie  persons  cited,  S,  the  accusers^  4,  the  advocate,  and  5,  the 
sentence. 

i.  God  alone  is  the  judge  ;  for  he  alone  hath  the  supreme  right 
to  prescribe  laws  to  man  :  "  For  the  Lord  is  cur  Judge,  the  Lord  is 
our  la\vji:iver,  the  Lord  is  our  king,  he  will  save  us,"  suith  the  church, 
Isaicih  xxxiii.  22.  "  There  is  one  Lawgiver,  who  is  able  to  save  and 
to  destroy,"  James  iv.  12.  Against  him  only  do  we  sin,  as  David 
confesseth,  Psalm  li.  4.  "  Against  thee,  thee  only  have  I  sinned." 
And  therefore  he  alone  forgives  sins,  as  he  himself  declares,  Isaiah 
xliii.  25,  "I  even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine 
own  sake,"  It  is  therefore  blasphemous  in  the  Romish  priests  to 
forgive  sinners  their  sins,  and  to  justify  them,  according  to  Mark  ii. 
7.  Is  it  said  that  the  preachers  "jus  ify  many,"*  Dan  xii.  3,  and 
that  they  "  remit  sins,"  Jolm  xx.  23,  we  must  understand  it  only  of 
a  ministerial  power,  by  v/hich  they,  as  mc3sengers  of  God,  make 

*  Ibis  i?  according  tc  the  Dutch  tsranslat ion. 


468  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNER 

known  his  gracious  sentence  of  absolution  to  penitent  sinners,  by 
proffering  them  pardon,  if  they  will  "be  reconciled  to  God,"  2  Cor. 
y.  20,  and  by  assuring  them  that  God  hath  forgiven  their  sins,  as 
the  pr(  achers  are  commanded  to  do,  Isaiah  xl.  1,  2.  For  they  for- 
give s.ns,  when  they  prc-ach  repentance  and  forgiveness  of  sins,  in 
the  riame  of  Christ,  as  appears  from  Luke  xxiv.  47,  compared  with 
John  XX.  23.  Although  justification  is  the  work  of  the  whole  divine 
Trinity,  nevertheless  it  is  especially  appropriated  to  the  Father,  as  it 
is  the  dispensation  of  the  ^3on  to  be  the  advocate,  and  as  it  is  the 
special  work  of  the  JJoly  Spirit  to  make  the  sentence  known,  and  to 
suggest  it  to  believers.  Therefore  ive  read,  Rom.  viii,  S3,  S4. 
*'  Who  shall  lay  any  think  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect  ?  it  is  God 
that  jubtifieih  ;  who  is  he  thsit  condemneth  ?  it  is  Christ  that  died.'* 
In  tjie  distribution  of  the  work  of  grace  among  the  divine  Persons, 
the  exercise  of  justice  is  assigned  to  the  Father  as  Judge,"  -who 
hath  set  his  Son  forth  to  be  a  propitiation  through  faith  in  his  blood, 
to  declare  his  righteousness  ior  the  remission  of  sins,"  as  we  see, 
Rom.  iii  25.  But  as  God  could  not  declare  his  righteousness  in 
justifying  sinners,  and  forgiving  their  sins,  unless  he  also  exercised 
his  grace,  he  hath  therefore  sltten  down,  not  only  on  his  throne  of 
justice,  but  also  on  his  throne  of  grace,  to  which  the  sinner  must 
therefore  "  come  with  boldness,  that  he  may  obtain  mercy,  and  find 
grace  to  help  in  time  of  need,"  as  the  apostle  speaks,  Heb.  iv.  16. 

2.  The  person  who  is  cited  is  a  sinner,  "  y/ho  hath  sinned  griev- 
ously against  all  the  commandments  of  God,  and  hath  kept  none  of 
them,  and  is  still  inclined  to  all  evil."  Not  all  who  are  such,  but 
*'  those  whom  God  hath  foreordained,  and  also  called"  to  justifica- 
tion, Rom.  viih  29,  30,  33.  Neither  do  they  remain  so  abominable, 
but  they  are  also  "  washed  and  sanctified,  when  they  are  justified," 
1  Cor.  vi.  11.  But  v/e  only  say,  that  man  is  considered  in  justifica- 
tion, as  such  a  sinner.  The  Remonstrants  deem  the  words,  "  that 
he  is  still  inclined  to  all  evil,"  to  be  a  hard  saying,  and  contrary  to 
the  sixty  fourth  and  hundred  and  fourteenth  questions,  which  teach, 
that  b'lievers  delight  in  all  righteousness,  and  that  it  is  impossible 
that  t^LY  should  not  brin?  forth  fruits  of  thankfulness."  But  we 
need  not  wonder  that  those  men  manifest  displeasure  at  this  asser- 
tion, for  they  imagine  that  man  hath  lost  nothing  by  the  fall,  but  his 
supernatural  gifts,  and  that  he  is  not  become  so  corrupt  ;  they  also 
"Will  have  that  God  doth  not  justify  man,  before  he  perceives  a  good 
inclination  of  his  will  in  hiiu  ;  but  we  need  not  concern  ourselves 
about  what  they  say,  since  this  answer  ngreeth  with  the  word  of 
Qod  :  our  text  saith  "  be  that  worketh  not,  but  believeth  on  him  that 


BEFORE  GOD.     XXIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  59—61.     46» 

justifieth  the  ungodly,  his  faith  is  counted  for  righteousness."  And 
can  a  man  be  considered  differently  from  this  in  justification,  which 
is  a  f?»rgiving  of  sins  ?  must  not  a  man  appear  then  to  God  as  a  sin- 
ner ?  yea,  when  the  sinner  comes  to  God  in  order  to  be  justified, 
must  he  not  with  the  deepest  humility  accuse  himself  before  God  ? 
is  not  his  mouth  stopped  ?  would  he  then  dare  to  speak  of  his  good 
inclinations,  and  of  his  free  will  ?  no,  the  prodigal  son  spoke  only  of 
his  sins  and  unworthiness,  Luke  xv.  17,  18,  19.  The  Pharisee  spoke 
like  a  Remonstrant,  he  thanked  God  in  a  flattering  manner,  that  he 
was  not  so  abominable,  but  had  many  good  qualifications  ;  but  the 
publican  spoke  and  acted  differently  from  this,  and  more  humbly  ; 
for  "  standing  afar  off,  he  would  fiot  so  much  as  lift  up  his  eyes  to- 
ward heaven,  but  smote  on  his  breast,  saying,  God,  be  merciful  ta 
me  a  sinner.  And  this  man  went  down  to  his  house  justified  rather 
than  the  other,"  Luke  xviii.  10 — 14.  When  therefore  the  instruc- 
tor saith,  that  "  I  am  still  inclined  to  all  evil,"  he  understands  it  of  a 
sinner  considered  in  himself,  who  comes,  that  he  may  be  justified  ; 
and  that  such  an  one  is  inclined  to  evil  Paul  teacheth  us,  Rom.  iii. 
9 — 20,  and  therefore  the  sixty  fourth,  and  hundred  and  fourteenth 
questions  do  not  contradict  this  assertion,  inasmuch  as  they  speak  of 
man  in  his  state  of  sanctifiration,  as  a  fruit  of  his  justification.  And 
if  we  did  say  that  a  sanctified  person  was  still  inclined  to  all  evil, 
would  we  then  contradict  the  word  of  God  ?  Verily,  sanctification  is 
not  perfect :  is  there  a  new  man,  who  delights  in  all  righteousness, 
and  brings  forth  fruits  of  thankfulness,  there  remains  still  an  old 
man,  and  a  great  power  of  corruption  :  *'  The  flesh  lusteth  against 
the  Spirit,"  Gal.  v.  17.  Can  tlie  flesh  lust  against  the  Spirit,  with- 
out being  inclined  to  all  evil  ?  Was  net  Paul  obliged  to  bemoan  him- 
self on  account  of  those  evil  incUnations  ?  Rom.  viii.  When  the 
saii^ts  were  hurried  to  evil  sins,  did  that  happen  without  an  inclina- 
tion to  evil  ?  The  reason  why  those  evil  inclinations  do  not  always 
mislead  the  soul,  is  not  because  ihey  do  not  exist  in  the  soul,  but  be- 
cause God  restrains  them  by  his  grace,  and  the  old  man  hath  not 
always  an  opportunity  to  bestir  himself.  Peter  thought  that  he  would 
by  no  means  deny  his  master ;  but  when  he  was  in  the  hall  of  Ca-^ 
iaphas,  he  then  showed  how  strongly  he  was  urged  by  his  evil  incli- 
nations to  deny  his  Master  thrice,  and  to  curse  himself  in  a  grievous 
manner,  in  order  to  save  his  life. 

The  sinner,  seeing  himself  to  be  such  an  one,  is  seized  with  ter- 
rour,  and  will  endeavour,  fike  Adam,  to  hide  himself  from  the  Lord; 
but  he  is  called  and  cited  to  God's  throne  of  grace,  that  he  may  re«. 
ceive  a  ^ra^ious  sentence  ;  "  God  sets  his  Son  forth  to  him  to  be  % 


47Q  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNER 

propitiation  through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness 
for  the  remission  of  sins,"  Rom.  iii.  25.  The  Son  of  God  ciies^ 
"  Look  unto  me  and  be  saved,  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth,"  Isaiah  xlv. 
22.  "  The  Holy  Spirit  affords,"  and  effects  for  hira  "  an  access  to 
the  Father,"  Eph.  ii.  18,  so  that  he  "  goes  with"  a  humble  ''  boldness 
to  the  throne  of  grace,  that  he  may  obtain  mercy,  and  find  grace  to 
help  in  time  of  need,"  H^tb.  iv.  16. 

•  3.  But  while  he  stands  there,  his  accusers  bestir  themselves 
against  him,  and  set  themselves  at  his  right  hand,  to  resist  him.  The 
accusers  are,  (a)  the  law  :  "  Moses  aecuseth  him  to  the  Fat!\er," 
John  V.  45.  For  the  law  saith  to  him  in  his  face,  that  "  he  ought  to 
have  done  those  things,"  all  that  was  commanded,  "  if  he  would 
}ive,"  Rom.  x,  5.  The  law  saith  also  to  him,  that  he  hath  not  done 
those  things ;  for  "  by  the  law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin,"  and  that 
therefore  "  no  flesh  can  be  jusiifie  *  before  God  by  the  deeds  of  the 
law,"  Rom.  iii.  20,  and  it  denounceth  the  curse  against  the  sinner, 
Gal.  iii.  10.  The  Holy  Ghost,  convincing  him  of  this  by  the  law, 
according  to  what  the  Saviour  saith,  John  xvi.  8,  the  sinner's  "  moutil 
is  stopped  by  the  law,"  Romi.  iii.  19.  The  sinner  cannot  allege 
aught  against  this  accusation  of  the  law  :  with  Paul  he  aeknovvlcdgea 
that ''  tlie  law,  and  the  commandment  is  holy,  and  just,  and  good,'* 
Rom.  viii.  12.  He  confc'sses  that  he  hath  not  kept  any  of  those 
commandments,  and  that  therefore,  if  the  Judge  will  deal  whh  him 
according  to  the  demands  of  the  law,  "  he  cannot  stand,"  Psalm 
cxxx.  3,  and  thus  he  "  dies  to  the  law  through  the  law,"  Gal.  ii.  19. 
(b)  And  so  his  conscience  is  also  his  accuser,  "  which  accuseth  him 
that  he  hath  gix)ssly  transgressed  all  the  commandments  of  God,  and 
hath  kept  none  of  them,  and  is  still  inclined  to  all  evil,"  v/hich  he 
ihereforc  confesses  with  shame  and  detestation  of  himself  before  the 
Judge,  crying  out,  ''  O  my  God,  I  am  ashamed  and  blush  to  lift  up 
my  face  to  thee,  my  God :  for  mine  iniquities  are  increased  over 
my  h'jad,  and  my  trespass  is  grown  up  unto  the  heavens,"  Ezra  ix. 
6.  But  being  come  to  the  throne  of  grace,  he  pleads  mercy,  and 
not  riglit,  like  the  publican,  Luke  xviii.  13,  and  like  David,  Psalm 
cxliii;  2.  (c)  Satan,  knowing  the  unfathomable  grace  and  mercy  of 
the  Lord,  strives  to  prevent  the  sinner  from  finding  grace,  and  he 
therefore  also  sets  iiimself  as  an  accuser  at  his  right  hand,  in  order 
to  resist  him,"  Zech.  iii.  I.  He  endeavours  to  persuade  the  sinner^ 
that  it  is  not  possible,  that  such  a  vile  wretch  as  he  is,  should  obtain 
grace  ;  yea,  he  seeks  to  stir  the  Judge  himself  up  against  the  sinuer^ 
as  though  he  were  a  hypocrite,  as  he  did,  Job.  i.  y,  10.  ii.  4,  5. 
4»  Tnii  would  sink  the  poor  and  exceedingly  burthened  sinnci'^ 


tiEFORE  GOD.     XXIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  5^—51.      471 

mto  a  total  despair,  it  would  cause  him  to  "  take  his  flesh  in  his  teeth, 
anJ  to  put  his  life  in  his  hands,"  if  Jesus  the  Mediator  and  Advocate 
at  the  throne,  did  not  interpose  between  God  and  him.  Therefore 
John  saith,  "  If  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  Advocate  with  the  Father, 
Jesus  Christ  the  righteous ;  and  he  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins," 
1  John  ii.  1,  2,  and  Jesus,  when  he  pleadeth,  saiih  to  his  Father  for 
the  sinner,  Job  xxxiii.  24.  *' Deliver  him  from  going  down  to  the 
pit,  1  have  found  a  ransom."  He  represents  to  the  Father  his  satis- 
faction, righteousness  and  holiness,  and  that  he  hath  accomplished 
a  perfect  obedience  for  the  sinner.  Do  the  accusers  allege,  that 
the  sinner  is  accursed,  **  because  he  hath  not  continued  in  all  things 
writien  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them,"  according  to  Gal.  iii.  10. 
the  Advocate  shows  that  "  he  hath  delivered  him  from  the  curse  of 
the  law,  having  been  made  a  curse  for  him,"  Gal.  iii.  13.  Do  thej!" 
say  that  the  sinner  cannot  live,  because  he  hath  not  done  those 
things,  which  are  commanded,  as  the  righteousness,  which  is  of  the 
law  required  of  him,  according  to  Rom.  x.  5,  Jesus  sets  his  active 
obedience  against  this,  that  the  sinner  may  be  made  righteous,"  as 
Paul  speaks,  Rom.  v.  19. 

5.  The  Judge  of  the  whole  earth,  determined  to  do  right,  passeth 
sentence  in  favour  of  the  sinner.  That  we  may  have  a  proper  idea 
of  the  nature  of  this  sentence,  we  will  consider,  (a)  the  import  of  this 
sentence,  (b)  the  causes  of  it,  and,  (c)  the  manner  in  which  the  sin- 
ner obtains  an  interest  in  it. 

(a)  The  import  of  the  sentence  is  favourable  to  the  sinner.  This 
doth  not  imply  that  the  Judge  saith.  Thou  hast  not  had,  and  thoa 
hast  not  committed  any  sin,  the  accusations  which  have  been  exhib- 
ited against  thee  are  false  ;  for  then  ^'  God's  judgment  would  not  be 
according  to  truth,"  contrary  to  Rom.  ii.  2,  and  "  God  will  not  justify 
the  wicked,"  in  this  manner,  as  he  himself  declares,  Exod.  xxiii.  7, 
But  this  sentence  imports,  (1)  that  God  discharges  and  acquits  the 
sinner  from  his  deserved  guilt  by  forgiving  him  his  sin,  and  not  im- 
puting it  lo  him  :  "  As  David  also  describeth  the  blessedness  of  the 
man,  to  whom  God  imputeth  righteousness  without  works,  saying, 
Blessed  are  tney  whose  iniquities  aie  forgiven,  whose  sins  are  cov- 
ered. Blessed  is  the  man  to  whom  the  Lord  will  not  impute  sin," 
this  Paul  teacheth  us,  Rom.  iv.  6,  7,  8,  from  Psalm  xxxiii.  1,  2. 
Therefore  the  Lord  also  saith  to  the  sinner,  Isaiah  liv.  9,  "  I  have 
sworn  that  I  will  not  be  wroth  with  thee,  nor  rebuke  thee,"  (2)  This 
sentence  consists  also  in  adjudging  to  the  sinner  a  right  to  life,  which 
he  had  forfeited  by  his  sins  ;  for  when  "  he  obtains  forgiveness  of 
his  sins,  he  also  receives  an  inheritance  among  them  v/ho  are  sane- 


472  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNER 

tified,"  Acts  xxiv.  18.  Bein^  justified,  he  becomes  "an  heir  ac- 
cording to  the  hope  of  eternal  life,"  Tit.  iii.  7.  And  he  thus  also 
obtains  a  ri^ht  to  all  the  benefits  of  that  great  covenant  of  grace  : 
for  "  Christ  is  made  to  him  of  God  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctifi- 
cation  and  redemption,"  I  Cor.  1.  30*  And  he  is  thus  as  perfectly 
justiiiied,  **  as  if  he  had  ne?er  had,  not*  committed  any  sin  ;  yea,  as 
if  he  had  fully  accomplished  all  that  obediencej  "which  Christ  hath 
accomplished  for  him,"  as  the  instructor  speaks,  according  to  the 
word  of  God  ;  for  Paul  saith,  2  Cor.  v*  21,  "  Him  who  knew  no  sin 
hath  he,"  to  wit,  God,  ''  made  to  he  sin  for  us,  that  we  might  be 
made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him,"  By  which  means  the  accu- 
sers are  silenced,  according  to  what  Paul  saithj  Rom.  viii.  33,  34. 
"  The  righteousness  of  the  law  is  fulfilled  in  the  sinner,"  by  his 
Surety,  Rom.  viii.  4,  and  Satan  is  rebuked.  All  this  is  beautifully 
exhibited  to  us  in  Joshiia  the  high  priest,  as  a  pattern,  Zech  iii» 
1—5. 

(b)  But  \vhat  inHuenccth  the  great  Judge  to  this  ?  what  are  the 
causes  which  move  him  to  deal  so  favourably  with  such  a  vile  sin- 
ner? Paul  tells  us  this  in  one  word,  Rom.  iii.  24.  "  They  are  justi- 
fied freely  by  his  grace,  through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus."  On  the  part  of  the  sinner  it  is  "  freely."  The  sinner  hath 
nothing  to  move  the  Lord  ;  all  that  he  hath  is  abominable,  hateful 
and  loathsome.  His  misery  would  not  move  God  to  mercy,  for  his 
misery  is  not  adapted  to  excite  compassion,  but  abhorrence  ;  his 
misery  demanus  the  righteous  aversion  of  God,  and  the  vengeance 
cf  God  upon  him,  as  we  have  shown  upon  the  first  part  of  the  cate- 
chism. We  think  therefore  that  no  doctrine  can  be  more  detestable 
in  the  sight  of  God  aod  of  his  saints,  than  that  a  man  is  justified  for 
aught  that  is  in  him,  whether  it  be  called  good  works,  or  faith  ;  but 
we  will  speak  more  fully  to  this  on  the  following  Lord's  day.  What 
therefore  moves  the  Lord  ?  the  apostle  saith  in  the  passage  before 
cited,  that  on  God's  part  it  is  "  his  grace,"  that  is,  his  unmerited 
g;oodness  to  the  unworthy  sinner,  by  which  he  is  mbved  from  and 
of  himself  to  manifest  himself  glorious  in  his  incomprehensible  kind- 
ness to  the  vilest.  It  is  *'  the  abundance  of  grace  and  of  the  gift  of 
righteousness  which  the  sinner  receives,"  Rom.  v.  15,  17.  Doth 
any  one  think,  it  is  impossible  for  God  to  clear  the  guilty,  and  that 
such  grace  would  be  dishonourable  to  God,  and  would  injure  his 
justice  ?  the  apostle  will  satisfy  him  in  the  passage  which  we  have 
quoted,  when  he  saith,  "through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus."  This  he  accomplished  by  his  satisfaction  to  the  justice  of 
God,  through  his  active  and  passive  obedience,  whereby  the  justice 


BEFORE  GOD.      XXIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.   59—61.      473 

of  God  is  satisfied.  And  therefore  the  manifestation  of  this  ^race  to 
the  sinner,  is  not  dishonourable  to  God,  but  tends  to  the  declaration 
of  his  righteousness,  agreeably  to  what  we  hi  vc  ofien  cited  from 
Rom.  iii  25,  26  ;  for  this  must  exhibit  the  glory  of  God  in  the  most 
illustrious  manner,  that  such  a  wonderful  union  hatli  been  effected 
between  the  grace  and  the  justice  of  God  in  his  conduct  toward  tiie 
guilty  sinner.  And  therefore  it  is  an  idle  assertion  of  the  Socinians, 
that  if  it  be  of  grace,  it  cannot  be  by  the  righteousness  and  sanctifi- 
cation  of  Christ;  for  it  is  grace  in  God  to  admit  a  Surety,  to  bestow 
one  himself,  and  mdeed  his  Son,  and  that  on  this  and  not  on  that 
and  the  other  sinner.  Therefore  giace  and  satisfaction  are  very 
often  joined  together.  See  Rom.  iii.  24,  25.  Eph.  i  7.  Coll  i.  13, 
And  so  the  sinner  is  justified  on  the  part  of  I'hrist  upon  account  of 
his  righteousness,  according  to  the  language  of  Paul,  Philip,  iii.  9, 
"  Not  having  mine  own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the  law,  but  that 
which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of 
God  by  faith."  This  righteousness  of  God,  on  account  of  which  the 
sinner  is  justified,  is  not  his  divine  and  essential  righteousness  infu- 
sed into  the  sinner,  and  so  inherent  in  him,  according  to  the  opinion 
of  Osiander  ;  for  this  righteousness  is  infinite,  and  cannot  be  com- 
municated to  man  ;  but  it  is  the  righteousness  which  he  hath  merit- 
ed and  obtained,  and  therefore  his  mediatorial  righteousness,  where- 
by "  he  is  made  righteousness  to  us,"  1  Cor.  i.  30,  Further,  the 
isinner  is  justified,  not  only  on  account  of  Christ's  passive  righteous- 
ness, but  also  on  account  of  his  active  and  obediential  righteousness, 
as  Paul  teacheth  us,  Rom.  v.  19.  "  By  the  obedience  of  one  many 
shall  be  made  righteous."  Christ  hath  satisfied  the  justice  of  God 
by  his  obedience,  as  well  as  by  his  suffering,  and  the  righteousness 
of  the  law  required  of  the  sinner  obedience,  as  well  as  the  suffering 
of  punishment.  Yea,  Christ  suffered  m  obedience  to  his  Father,  and 
this  rendered  his  suffering  a  virtuous  suffering.  See  Philip,  ii.  8. 
And  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  instructor,  when  he  speaks  of  "  the 
satisfaction,  righteousness  and  holiness"  of  Christ,  on  account  of 
which  man  is  justified,  as  the  satisfaction  was  effected  by  his  right- 
eousness and  holiness. 

(c)  But  how  doth  the  sinner  obtain  an  interest  in  this  favourable 
sentence?  It  is  effected,  (1)  by  God's  imputation  of  Christ's  right- 
eousness to  man,  (2)  By  the  faith  of  man,  whereby  he  appropriates 
that  sentence  and  the  righteousness  of  Christ  to  himself 

I.  When  God  justificth  man  on  account  of  the  righteousness  of 
Christ,  he  imputes  that  righteousness  to  man  as  his  righteousness; 
that  is,  he  bestows  it  on  him,  by  which  therefore  Christ's  satisfaction. 

3Q 


474  THii  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNER 

righteousness  and  holiness  becomes  his  righteousness  before  God, 
as  the  instructor  speaks  in  the  sixty-first  question.  And  thus  the 
sinner  is  considered  as  perfectly  righteous  by  this  imputation,  as  if 
he  had  never  committed  any  sin  ;  yea,  as  if  he  had  fully  accomplish- 
ed all  that  obedience,  which  Christ  hath  accomplished  for  him." 
The  Papists  and  Remonstrants  deny  this  imputation  of  Christ's 
righteousness,  that  ihey  may  teach  justification  on  account  of  our 
own  works  and  faith  ;  but  we  maintain  it,  because  David,  as  Paul 
teacheth  us,  Rom.  iv.  6,  "  pronounces  the  man  blessed,  to  whom 
God  imputeth  righteousness  without 'works."  See  also  vrs.  4,  9,  II, 
concerning  the  imputation  of  righteousness.  This  righteousness 
cannot  be  any  other  than  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  because  all  cur 
own  righteousness  is  excluded  there,  as  also  Philip,  iii.  9.  Surely 
this  imputation  is  not  so  absurd,  as  our  adversaries  pretend,  since 
the  sins  of  believers  were  imputed  to  Christ,  "that  they  might  be 
made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him,"  2  Cor,  v.  21,  and  that  "  the 
righteousness  of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  them,"  Rom.  viii.  3, 
4,  Why  should  not  the  righteousness  of  Christ  be  imputed  to  us, 
as  well  as  the  sin  of  Adam  is  imputed  to  us  ?  Paul  shows  this  con- 
sequence very  clearly,  Rom.  v.  15,  19.  In  what  other  way  doth  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  become  ours  ?  for  "  he  is  the  Lord  our  right- 
eousness," Jer.  xxiii.  5.  And  "  he  is  made  of  God  to  us  righteous- 
ness," I  Cor.  i.  30.  Do  not  the  Papists  teach  that  the  supereroga- 
tory works  of  the  saints  are  imputed  to  others  ?  and  cannot  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  be  imputed  to  the  sinner  ?  do  not  the  Re- 
monstrants acknowledge  that  the  merits  of  Christ  are  advantageous 
to  believers .?  but  how  can  they  be  so,  except  by  imputation  ? 

2.  We  obtain  an  interest  in  this  sentence  and  this  righteousness 
also  by  faith,  whereby  we  make  these  things  our  own.  And  indeed 
by  faith  only,  v/ithout  works  :  "  We  conclude  then,"  to  adopt  the 
words  of  Paul,  Rom.  iii.  28,  "  that  a  man  is  justified  by  faith  with- 
out the  deeds  of  the  law."  The  apostle  teacheth  the  same  also.  Gal. 
ii.  16.  Faith  is  indeed  not  without  works  ;  or  "  it  is  dead,  when  it 
is  alone,"  James  ii.  IT,  18,  and  it  is  itself  a  good  work,  John  vi.  29, 
but  it  is  not  considered  so  here,  because  it  is  very  carefully  distin- 
guished from  works,  yea,  set  in  opposition  to  them,  as  we  see  in  the 
text,  and  Rom.  iii.  28,  and  Gal.  ii.  16. 

Hi.  We  obtain  an  occasion  of  discussing  this  matter  more  fwlly 
in  the  sixty  first  question,  which  demands  of  the  pupil  his  reason  for 
saying  "  that  he  is  righteous  by  faith  only."  This  question  is  asked, 
because  the  Papists  conceive  that  we  are  acceptable  to  God  on  ac- 
count of  the  worthiness  of  our  faith,  which  possesseth  so  great  a 


BEFORE  GOD.     XXIU-  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  59—61.     476 

worthiness,  because  it.  is  the   root  of  other  virtues,   and  produces 
others.     The  Remonstrants  will  have  that   faith  justiiieth  man,  be- 
cause God  reckons  it  by  a.  p,Tacicus  estimation,  as  a  perfect   obser- 
vation of  his  law.     But  the  instructor  saith,  "  that  I  am   not  accept- 
able to  God   on   account  of  the   worthiness  of  my  faith:"    and    he 
proves  it,- when  he  saith,  "that  only  the  satisfaction,  righteousness, 
and  holiness  of.  Christ  is  his  righteousness  before  God,"  which   he 
had  explained  in  the  sixtieth  question,  and  which  hath  been  proved 
by  us.     Therefore  the  believinr^  sinner  cannot  be  acceptable  to  Cod 
on  account  of  the  v/orthiness  of  hie-  faith.     This   appears  so  much 
the  more,  because  faith  denies  its  own  work   and   worthiness,   and 
seeks  ail  its  worthiness  in  the  righteousness   of  Christ.     See   this, 
Phil.    iii.    8,  9.     The  Remonstrants  will  not  indeed  seek   any   wor- 
thiness in  faith, but  only  a  gracious  estimation  of  God,  whereby   he 
reckons  faith  a  perfect  observation  of  his  law  i  yet  then  their  right- 
eousness is  not  in  Christ,  but  in  faith,  which  God  esteems  so  worthy  ; 
but  when  they  speak  thus,  they  deny  the  whole  gospel,   which    doth 
not  place  the  righteousness  of  the  sinner  in  faith,  as  the  work  of  the 
sinner,  but   only  in   Christ.     It  is  also  impossible,  that  God   should 
esteem  faith  a  perfect  observation  of  the  law  ;  for  then  "the   judg- 
ment of  God  v/ould  not  be  according  to  truth,"  contrary  to  Rom.  ii. 
2.     Paul  saith  indeed,  that  "faith  is  counted   for   righteousness," 
Rom.  iv.  5,  but   in  that  passage,  faith   is  put  by  a   metonymy    for 
Christ,  because  he  is  the  object  of  faith,  we  unite  ourselves  to  him, 
and  seek  our  righteousness  in  him  by  f^iith.     And  thus  faith  is  spoken 
of  in  other  passages  in  such  a  manner,  that  we  must  understand  by 
it  the  object  of  faith,  either  the  doctrine  of  faith,  or  Christ ;  so  Paul 
saith,  Gal.  iii.  23,  25.     "  Before  faith  came,  v/e  were  kept  under  the 
law  :  but  after  that  faith  is  come,  we  are  no  longer  under  a  school- 
master."    And  Paul  considered  the  matter  thus  also  in  Rom.  iv.  5. 
He  would  otherwise  contradict  himself,  for  he  speaks  of  an  ungodly 
person,  who  worketh  not,  and   to  whom  righteousness   is   imputed 
without  works.   See  vrs.  i.    8. 

But  the- difficulty  still  remains,  how  faith  acts  in  justification.  The 
instructor  explauis  this,  v/hen  he  saith,  "  that  I  cannot  receive  and, 
apply  the  same  to  myself  any  other  way  than  by  faith  only."  For, 
faiih  serves  here  like  an  instrument,  with  which  we  do  something, 
like  a  hand,  with  which  we  lay  hold  on  that  which  is  ofttied  to  us, 
make  it  our  own,  and  unite  it  to  ourselves.  That  faith  hath  such  a 
power,  we  have  shov.r  ftom  John  i.  12,  on  the  seventh  Lord's  day. 
We  are  to  understand  this  so,  that  the  Judge  proffering  his  Son,  his 
ri^liteousness,  and  the  gracious  sentence  in  him,  the  sinner    accepts 


4/6  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNER 

and  lays  hold  on  Christ,  and  all  grace  in  him,  and  thus  submits  to 
the  righteousnes  of  God,"  Rom.  x.  3.  It  is  indeed  the  nature  of 
love  also  to  accept  of  Christ,  to  embrace  and  unite  him  to  ourselves  ; 
but  we  are  not  therefore  justified  by  lo\e,  because  love  acts  not  like 
faith,  since  it  doth  not  seek  to  obtain  an  interest  inChrist,  as  Surety> 
but,  as  having  an  interest  in  him,  to  exercise  friendship  and  fellow- 
ship with  him.  This  is  evident,  because  we  do  by  a  justifying  faith, 
as  by  an  assent  to  the  wooing  voice  of  Christ,  say  yea  to  him,  con^? 
elude  a  match  with  him,  and  thus  obtain  an  interest  in  him,  and  his 
righteousness  to  justification  ;  but  by  love  we  exercise  fellowship 
and  friendship  with  him,  as  oui  Bridegroom.  The  sinner,  as  a  sin- 
ner, in  which  respect  he  is  justified,  cannot  love  God,  until  his  guilt 
is  first  taken  away  in  justification  ;  but  when  that  is  once  taken 
away,  his  soul  then  opens  and  expands  in  love  to  God  ;  and  so  "  faith 
worketh  by  love,"  Gal.  v.  6. 

IV.  In  order  to  illustrate  the  mystery  of  justification  more  partic- 
ularly, we  must  consider  the  circumstances  and  qualifications  which 
accompanv  it.     To  this  pertains. 

(a)  The  time  when  God  justifieth  the  sinner.     We  cannot  say 
that  he  doth  this  in  his  eternal  decree,  for  that  was  the  purpose  of 
God  to  justify  him.  and  justification  follows  from  that  decree.     IVlore- 
over,  the  satisfaction  of  Christ  is  not  justification,  but  the  meritorious 
cause  of  it :  v/e  may  say  that  God  justified  all  the  elect  in  general  so 
far,  that  he  would  never  demand  a  satisfaction  for  their  guilt,  of  them 
when  he  appointed  his  Son  to  be  their  Surety,  and  transferred   their 
sins  on  him,  as  he  took  all  their   sins  upon  him,  in  order  that  he 
might  satisfy  for  them,  and  hath  also  a:tually  satisfied  for  them  by 
his  suff'erings;    for   -'Gcdwas  inChrist,  reconciling  the  world  to 
himself,  hot  imputing  their  trespasses  to  them."  2  Cor.  v.  19.  More- 
over,  all  the  elect  were  justified  in    Christ,   when    God    raised  him 
from   the  dead,  and  declared,  as  it  were,  by  an  instrument  of    ac- 
quittance, that  Christ  had  satisfied  him  for  them  all ,  for  "  Christ 
was,  justified  in  the  Spirit,"  1  Tim.  iii.  1 6,  and  so  all   the  elect  like- 
vise  in  him  ;  but  this  is  not  properly  speaking,  the  justification  of 
the  smner  before  God,  of  which  we  speak  here  :  neither  do  we  know 
that  this  is  ever  called  justification  in  the   word  of  God.     Justifica- 
tion is  indeed  a  benefit,  of  which   every  believer   becomes  a    parta- 
ker by  himself,  whereby  the  righteousness  of  Christ  is  applied  and 
communicated  to  him  upon  his  act  of  faith.     And    so  we   see  that 
justification  takes  place,  when  the  elect  sinner,  being  convinced  of 
his  guilt  by  effectual  calling,  being  cited  before  the  throne  of  grace, 
^d  appearing  there,  lays  hold  on  the  Surety  and  his  righteousness. 


BEFORE  GOD.    XXIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  59—61.      ATT 

and  thus  receives  this  gracious  sentence.     We  see  this  represented 
to  us  in  Joshua  the  high  priest,  Zech.  iii.  1 — 5.     We  add  to  this, 

(b)  The  different  considerations  of  justification.  Justification  is- 
considered  as  activ?  or  passive.  The  active  takes  place  before  the 
tribunal  of  God,,  where  the  sinner  appears  ;  where  God  actually  ab- 
solves him  from  his  guilt,  and  awards  to  him  a  right  to  life,  upon  the 
direct  act  of  his  fdlh.  The  passive  takes  place  in  the  mind  of  the 
sinner,  whereby  the  sentence  of  God  is  made  known  to  his  mind,  so 
that  he  becomes  conscious  that  he  is  justified  before  God  ;  which 
takes  place  upon  the  reflex  act  of  his  faith,  whereby  he  sees  in  him- 
self the  indisputable  evidences  ofhis  justification^  In  order  to  illus- 
trate this  we  will  explain, 

(c)  The  manner  in  which  the   sentence   of  justification  is  made 
known  to  the  believing  sinner-     This  is  done  either  externally  or  in°. 
ternally.     God  makes  known  to  the  believing  sinner  that  he   hath 
justified  him,  externally  by  his  word  :  the  scripture  is,  as  it  were,  the 
certificate  of  his  pardon  ;  for  "  all  the   prophets  bear   witness,   that 
through  his  name  whosoever  believeth  in  him,  shall  receive  remis- 
sion of  sins,"  Acts  x.  43.     See  also  Gal.  iii.  8.     The    Lord    sends, 
also   for  this  purpose    his    messengers  of  peace,  "  who  comfort  his 
people  from  his  mouth,  speak  comfortably  to   Jerusalem,  and   cry 
unto  her,  that  her  warfare  is  accomplished,  that   her  iniquity  is  par- 
doned," Isaiah  xl.  1,  2.  These,  as  ambassadours  for  Christ,  as  though 
God  did  beseech  by  them,  "  invite,  call  and  pray  "   the  sinner  "  in 
Christ's  stead,  to  be  reconciled  to  God,"  2  Cor.  v.   20,  21.     When 
the  sinner  consents  to  this   by  receiving  the  Surety,   the   preachers 
are  then  empowered  to  assure  him,  that  he  hath  peace  with  God  : 
"  I  create  the  fruit  of  the  lips :    peace,  peace  to  him  that  is  far  off, 
and  to  him  that  is  near,  saith  the  Lord,"  Isaiah  Ivii.  19.  And  in  this 
manner  do  the  preachers  justify  many  "  sinners,  Dan.  xii.  3.     Yea, 
that  the  believer  may  be  certain  of  this,  God  gives  him  not  only   his 
oath,  "  swearing  that  he  will  not  be    wroth  with    him,  nor  rebuke 
him,"  Isaiah  Ivii.  9,  but  also  his  sacraments,  or  the  seals  of  his  cove- 
nant :  thus  ".  Abraham  received  the  sign  of   circumcision,  a  seal  of 
the  righteousness  of  faith,"  Rom.  iv.  11.     In  the  same  manner  do 
baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper  also  seal   justification  :    see  Acts  ii» 
38.     Matt.  xxvi.  26,  27,  28.     But  the  reflex  act  of  faith,  being   yet 
very  weak,  and  the  heart  being  too  much  disturbed  on  account  of  the 
sentence  of  death,  which  the  sinner  had  already  in  himself,  this  ex- 
ternal assuring  doth  not  much    affect  the   mind,  and  therefore  the 
Judge  gives  him  also  his  Spirit  to  be  a  pledge  and  seal,  whereby  he 
is  effectually  sealed,  as  Paul  showeth  repeatedly,  2  Cor.  i.  22.  Eph= 


4ra  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNER 

i.  IS,  U.  iv.  30.  The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  here  is,  (a)  that  h& 
teaches  the  beheving  sinner  to  form  a  conclusion  from  ti>e  word,  and- 
from  his  heart ;  for  he  assures  him  of  the  truth  of  the  word,  which 
saithj  that  every  one  who  believeth  in  Christ  hath  the  iS^rgiveness  o£" 
sins  ;  "  the  Spirit  beareth  witness  that  t^e  Spirit  is  the  truth,"  1  John 
V.  6.  The  Holy  Spirit  also  enhghtens  his  soul,  and  enables  him  to 
.*'  kno\\  the  things,"  to  wit,  faith,  and  the  fruits  thereoi, ''  which  are 
freely  given  him  by  God,"  1  Cor.  ii.  \2.  Whereupon  he  determines 
the  soul  to  conclude  that  slie  is  justified,  for  **•  the  Spirit  itself  beareth 
witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  che  cnildrcn  of  God,"  Rom.  viii. 
16.  (b)  The  Holy  Spirit  also  effects  a  peaceful  frame  of  mind,  and 
a  calm  tranquility  of  soul,  whereby  the  former  perturbation  and  agi- 
tation, which  had  seized  her,  is  composed,  and  she  enjoys  thus, 
"righteousness,  peace  and  joy  through  the  Holy  Ghost,"  according 
to  Rom.  xiv.  17.  See  also  Philip,  iv.  7.  Rom.  v  i.  (c)  The  Holy 
Ghost  works  in  a  higher  and  in  a  more  effectual  manner,  in  order 
to  assure  a  person,  when  he  suggests  the  sentence  of  absolution  to 
the  soul,  with  much  clear  and  sensible  grace,  speaking  secretly,  but 
very  powerfully  to  the  soul,  in  this  or  that  laanner,  "  Moses,  thou 
hast  found  favour  m  my  sight,  Daniel,  thou  art  a  man  greatly  belov- 
ed ;  son,  or  daughter,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee  ;"  which  is  then 
conveyed  with  so  much  light  and  power  to  the  soul,  that  she  sees 
clearly,  that  it  ?s  a  word,  which  is  sent  to  her  from  the  throne  ;  and 
so  much  the  more,  because  "  the  Holy  Ghost  sheds"  also  *'  the  love 
of  God  abroad  in  her,"  Rom.  v.  5.  Yea,  he  causeth  her  to  taste  the 
power  and  the  fruit  of  this  benefit  with  great  joy,  so  that  she  saith- 
from  Isaiah  Ixi.  10.  *'I  will  greatly  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  my  soul 
shall  be  joyful  in  my  God  ;  for  he  hath  clothed  me  with  the  gar- 
inents  of  salvatioii,  he  hath  covered  me  v/ith  the  robe  of  righteous- 
ness/' 

(d)  VVe  say  furthermore,  that  justification  is  a  complete  act. 
Sanc'.ification  is  only  in  part,  bnt  justification  is  perfect  in  this  life  ;. 
lor  the  righteousness  of  Christ  is  wholly  imputed  to  the  sinner,  in: 
consequence  of  which  all  his  sins,  past  and  present,  are  forgiven 
him  ;  and  also  his  future  sins  so  far,  that  God  v/ill  never  condemn 
him  on  account  of  them,  but  will  always  forgive  them  ;  for  God 
saith  that  '^  he  will  never  be  v/ioth  with  him,  nor  rebuke  him,"  Isaiah- 
liv.  9,  and  that  "  there  is  no  condemnation  to  them  who  are  in  Christ 
Jesus,"  Rom.  viii.  1 .  Moreover,  believers  are  justined  daily,  since- 
they  Tiiust  pray  daily,  that  their  sins  may  be  forgiven  them,  Matt. 
vU.  12,     Therefore  it  is.  also,  said,  Rev.  xxii.  1 1.  "  He  that  is  right- 


BEFORE  GOD.    XXIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  59— .61.      479 

eous,    let  him  be  justified  still-"*  See  this  exhibited  more  largely 
i]pon  the  fifth  petition. 

(e)  That  our  exposition  may  not  be  too  diffuse,  we  say  lastly,  that 
this  is  a  benefit  of  the  church,  not  only  of  the  New,  but  also  of  the 
Old  Testament.     How  the   Socinians  deny  this  we  have   shown  on 
the  sixth   Lord's  day,  where  we  have  also  refuted  tliem.     We  have 
likewise  evinced  there  that  it  is  a  mistake,  that  the  fathers  under  the 
Old  Testament  were  subject  to  guilt,  to  wrath,  to  the  curse,  to  a 
restless  conscience,  and  the  fear  of  death,  which  disproves  withal  the 
assertion,  that  they  had  not  then  the  perfect  forgiveness  of  their  sins. 
They  had  certainly  the  perfect  forgiveness  of  their  sins,  as  well  as 
the  believers  of  the  New  Testament.     David  surely  saith  this  in  the 
thirty  second  psalm,  and  Paul  proves  from  that  psalm  the  forgive- 
ness of  the  New  Testament,  Rom.  iv.  6,  7,  8.     We  do  not  however 
deny,  that  there  is  a  great  difference  between  the  justification  of  the 
Old,  and  of  the  New  Testament ;  for  the  believers  under  the  Old 
Testament  were  justified  upon  the  ground  of  the  future  satisfaction 
of  the  Surety,  their  justification  was  administered  to  them  in  a  dark 
and  legal  manner  by  the  law  of  ceremonies,  it  was  made  known  to 
them  by  the  Holy   Ghost  in   an   exceedingly  scarce  manner,  and  it 
was  the  peculiar  privilege  of  Israel,  confined  within  the  narrow  limits 
of  Canaan  :  but  under  the   New  Testament   believers   obtain  this 
benefit  by  tlie  accomplished  satisfaction  of  the  Mediator,  it  is  ad- 
ministered to  them  in  a  clear  and  easy  manner,   and  with  a  greater 
assurance  of  the  Holy  Ghost,   and  even  to  the  Gentiles.     And  so 
"  God  is  no  longer  a  God  of  the  Jews  only,  but  also  of  the  Gentiles: 
seeing  it  is  one  God,  which  shall  justify  the  circumcision  by  faith 
and  uncircumcision  through  faith."     Thus  Paul  speaks,  Rom.  iii. 
29,  30. 


APPLICATION. 

It  is  time  to  contemplate  this  matter  more  precisely  for  our  ad- 
vantage. 

What  think  ye,  hearers,  have  not  we  reason  to  boast,  that  we 
alone  possess  the  pure  doctrine  according  to  the  word  of  God,  when 
we  teach  that  the   sinner  is   justified  before  God  by  faith  only,  on 

*  We  have  quoted  this  passajje  according  to  the  Dutch  translation. 


48©  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SlNNEk 

account  of  the  perfect  righteousness  of  Christ,  through  the  free  grace 
of  God  ?  Is  not  this  doctrine  the  only  foundation,  and  the  principal 
article  of  the  wliole  gospel?  Can  we  apprehend../,  rightly  the  mean* 
ing  of  Paul  in  his  epistles,  without  this  doctrine  of  ours  ?  What  can 
we  understand  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  of  the  grace  of  God, 
and  of  faith,  if  we  do  not  make  use  of  this  our  key  ?  Is  the  efficacy 
©f  the  sacrifices  of  atonement,  and  of  the  trespass  offerings  intelligi- 
ble without  this  fundamental  article  ?  What  can  quiet  the  guilty 
mind,  and  glorify  God  on  account  of  his  righteousness  and  grace  in 
saving  sinners,  but  this  opinion  of  ours  ?  can  the  good  inclination  of 
the  sinner's  will,  his  good  works,  and  evangelical  obedience,  accord- 
ing to  the  law  of  Christ  ?  Whose  disturbed  mind  will  be  quieted  by 
these  means  ?  The  convinced  sinner,  despairing  of  himself  must  find 
a  perfect,  a  divine,  and  an  eternal  righteousness  without  himself,  if 
he  shal;  be  able  to  support  himself  with  a  hope,  that  God  will  be 
favourable  to  him.  And  how  shall  the  Lord  obtain  his  honour,  as 
long  as  the  sinner  gazes  on  himself,  and  his  virtues  ?  And  therefore 
we  may  safely  conclude,  that  we  possess  the  puie  doctrine  of  truth, 
and  that  the  Pelagians  and  Semipelagians  do  not.  The  revelation 
of  God  is  on  our  side* 

But  what  will  this  boasting  avail  us,  if  we  ourselves  do  not  make 
a  profitable,  comfortable,  and  sanctifying  use  of  our  doctrine  ?  Per- 
mit me  therefore  to  exhibit  this  benefit  of  justification  to  you  in  its 
proper  lustre,  that  we  may  urge  you  the  mor^  to  a  suitable  improve- 
ment of  it.  Consider  then, 

1.  Whom  God  justifieth,  and  so  graciously  acquits*  Is  it  not  a 
sinner,  yea,  one  of  "the  chief  of  sinners,"  with  Paul  ?  1  Tim.  i.  15, 
ivho  hath  sinned  against  all  the  commandments  of  God,  and  hath 
not  kept  one  of  them  ;  yea,  who  hath  transgressed  most  grievously 
against  God,  who  hated  God  and  his  neighbour,  was  "  sometimes 
foolish,  disobedient,  serving  divers  lusts,  hateful,  and  hating  others," 
as  Paul  confesses  of  himself,  and  other  justified  persons,  Titus  iii.  3. 
Yea,  who  is  still  inclined  to  all  evil,  "  carnal,  sold  under  sin,  in  whose 
flesh  there  dvvelleth  no  good  thing,"  Romi  vii.  14,  18,  who  is  self- 
condemned,  hopeless,  and  knows  of  no  remedy,  saying  "there  is  no 
hope,"  Isaiah  Ivii.  10,  and  whose  mouth  is  stopped,  being  unable  to 
excuse  himself  in  the  least.  When  the  Lord  God  shows  favour  to 
such  an  one,  and  admits  him  to  grace,  must  it  not  be  a  great  thing, 
and  cause  the  sinner  to  humble  himself  to  the  uttermost,  and  to  lose 
himself  in  the  grace  of  God  ? 

2.  It  is  inconceivable  that  his  Judge,  whom  he  hath  injured  in  the 
highest  degree,  and  who  might  therefore  proceed  against  him  with 


BEFORE  GOD.      XXIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  59—61.      481 

\he  utmost  severity,  favours  him  with  the  greatest  grace.    This,  this 
ftiust  exhibit  the  Judge  as  incomparably  good  to  the  sinner,  so  that 
he   may  cry  out   With   the  church,    Micha  vii,  18,  19.     "  Who  is  a 
God  like  unto  ihee,  that  pardoneth  iniquity,  and  passcth  by  tiie  trans- 
gression of  the  remnant  of  his  heritage  ?  he  retainelh  not  his  anger 
for  ever,  because   he  delighteih  in  mercy.     He  will  turn  again,  he 
will  have  compassion  on  us  ;  he  will  subdue  our  iniquities  ;  and  thou 
wilt  cast  all  their  sins  into  the   depths  of  the  sea."     He  dfcscei;d» 
from  his  throne  of  vindictive  justice,  and   sits  upon   his  throne    f 
grace,  and  that  witijout  injuring,  yea,  to  the  glory  of  his  justice  ;  a 
wonder,  before  which  "  Moses  bowed  himself  with  his   head  to  the 
earth,"  wnen  the  Lord  proclaimed  it  before  him,  saying,  "  The  Lord, 
The  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long-sufieriiig,  and  abundant 
in  goodness  and  truth,  keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  furgiving  in- 
iquity, ttansgression  ^.nd  sin,  and  that  will  by  no  means  clear  the 
guilty,"  Lxod.  xxxiv.  5,  8. 

3.  Is  not  this  a  wonderful  benefit,   that  God  himself  bestows  his 
Son  to  be  a  Surety,  Mediator  and  Advocate  ?  The  sinner  must  have 
been  condemned  according  to  the  law,  and  the  testimony  of  his  con- 
Science  :  but  the  boweh  of  the  tender  mercy  of  God  made  his  Son 
to  be  sin,  that  the  sinner  might  he  the  righteousness  of  God  in  him. 
He  cannot  be  condcmn-.^d  now  upon   the  allegations  of  his  accuseis, 
although  their  accusations  be  ever  so  just;  they  themselves  must 
be  condemned  ;  for  according  to  the  words  of  Paul,  Rom.  viii.  3,  4. 
"  God  sending  his  own   Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  for 
sin,  condemned   sin  in  the  flesh,  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law 
might  be  fulfilled  in  us."     This  is  the   great  promise  of  God,  who 
justineth  the  sinner,  that  he  saith,   Isaiah   liv-  17.     **  Every  tongue 
that  shall  rise  against  thee  in  judgment  thou  shalt  condemn.     This 
is  the  heritage  of  the  servants  of  the  Lord     and  tiieir  righteou«;ness 
is  of  me,  sailh  the  Lord."     Do  tlie   accusers  renew  their  complaints 
with  his  daily  offences,  "  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous  is  his  Advocate 
with  the  Father,  and  he  ever  liveth   to  make  intercession  for  him," 
agreeably  to   the  testimony  of  John  and  Paul,    1  John  ii,  1.  Heb. 
vii.  25. 

4.  Will  ye  have  more,  look  at  the  sentence.  How  precious  is  it, 
and  like  cold  water  to  a  thirsty  soul,  bowed  down  under  the  burthen 
of  so  many  and  just  accusations  !  Can  aught  be  more  joyful,  than 
that  a  justlv,  and  a  self-condemned  malefactor  is  informed,  that  he 
hath  obtained  pardon  ?  How  soul  enrapturing  is  it  to  a  sinner,  who 
bears  with  the  greatest  anxiety  the  sentence  of  everlasting  condem- 
nation in  his  bosom,  to  hear  the  Judge   say,  Thou  slialt  not  die,  but 

3  K 


482  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNER 

Jive  :  I  will  seat  thee  upon  the  throne  of  my  Son,  I  have  set  my 
heart,  my  love  on  thee,  and  when  his  Judge  gives  him  the  kiss  of 
reconciliation  1  How  must  such  a  poor  heart  revive,  as  it  were,  from 
the  pangs  of  death,  with  the  greatest  pleasure  !  Such  a  soul  saith 
straightway,  "  O  Lord,  by  these  things  men  live,  and  in  all  these 
things  is  the  life  of  my  spirit :  so  wilt  thou  recover  me,  and  make 
me  to  live.  Behold,  for  peace  I  had  great  bitterness ;  but  thou  hast 
in  love  to  my  soul  delivered  it  from  the  pit  of  corruption ;  for  thou 
hast  cast  all  my  sins  behind  thy  back,"  isaiah  xxxviii.  16,  17.  Once 
more  ; 

5.  Why  doth  God  do  such  great  things  for  such  a  vile  child  of 
hell  ?  It  cannot  be,  because  he  saw  so  much  moral  goodness  in  him; 
not  only  God,  but  the  sinner  liimself,  knew  better.  Nothing,  nothing 
but  grace  moved  the  Lord  to  glor  fy  himself  in  such  a  subject  of 
c  nacmudlion.  It  is  '*  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  f^rare,  where- 
in he  liath  m<ide  us  accepted  in  the  beloved,"  saith  the  apostle,  Eph. 
i.  6.  Yea,  the  sinner  doth  still  do  nothing  to  obtain  this  sentence^ 
he  only  assents  to  it,  that  he  may  obtain  grace  and  peace,  agreeably 
to  the  method  and  wisdom  of  the  King :  his  Advocate  saith,  *'  Fear 
not.  only  believe,"  Mark  v.  36. 

What  think  ye,  hearers,  is  not  David  in  the  right,  when  he  pro- 
nounces a  sinner,  who  is  justified  in  this  manner,  blessed  ?  Psalm 
xxxii.  1,  2.  Surely  yes.  But  what  will  this  avail  you  and  me,  if  we 
ourselves  have  no  interest  in  this  great  benefit  ?  ought  we  not  then 
to  inquire  thoroughly  in  what  state  we  are  with  regard  to  this  par- 
ticular? wfiat  think  ye,  are  ye  already  acquitted  before  the  tribunal 
of  God  I  or  do  ye  not  concern  yourselves  with  this  important  matter? 
This  WGuld  indeed  be  wretched.  Oi  do  ye  say.  We  hope  that  we 
do,  and  we  trust  that  all  our  sins  are  forgiven  for  the  sake  of  Christ's 
merits  ?  Have  ye  any  ground  or  proof  of  this  ?  Surely  this  is  a  mat- 
ter of  too  great  importance  to  be  trifled  with  in  such  a  manner. 
Permit  me  to  inform  you  what  are  the  marks  of  a  justified  person, 
and  let  each  of  you  examine  himself  by  them,  and  see  whether  they 
can  be  found  in  him. 

1  The  person  who  hath  been  justified  before  God,  *' his  con^ 
science  hath  accused  him  that  he  hath  grossly  transgressed  all  the 
commands  of  God,  and  that  he  hath  kept  none  of  them,  and  is  still 
inclined  to  all  evil."  He  knows  this,  not  merely  from  hearsay,  but 
he  looks  back,  and  sees  that  his  whole  life  hath  been  without  God, 
he  sc-cs  even  now  clearly  and  plainly  every  evil  inclination  rise  up  in 
him  against  God,  and  his  ways,  and  against  his  neighbour.  This 
distresses  him,   and  alfects  him  with  shame  and  cooceriii  and  he 


BEFORE  GOD.    XXIII.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  59—51.      4S3 

earnestly  desires  to  find  grace  only  ;  this  urges  him  to  prayer,  and 
to  seek  God,  that,  like  such  a  vile  wretch,  he  may  find  grace  and 
mercy  with  God.     See  this  in  the  publican,  Luke  xviii,  13.  l-i. 

2.  Such  a  person  seeks  Ivh  rigi.teousness  and  pardon  only  in 
Christ.  At  first  he  seeks  relief  for  liis  distressed  heart  in  forsaking 
evil  and  doing  good  ;  but  he  is  soon  driven  fiom  this,  for  he  sees 
that  whatever  he  doth  is  so  mixed  with  sin,  tnat  the  more  he  sinves 
to  do  any  thing,  the  more  his  e\il  inclin^.tions  a;>pcar,  and  tlie  more 
distress  of  mind  he  experiences  on  account  of  them,  until  his  soul, 
entirely  perplexed,  hears  the  good  report  of  the  ability  and  willing- 
ness of  the  Mediator,  whereupon  being  driven  out  of  himself,  he 
turns  himself  to  him,  surrenders  himself  to  him,  choosts,  and  ac- 
cepts of  him,  that  he  may  be  justified  by  him  before  the  throne. 
How  exceedingly  low  doth  ue  now  rate  his  virtues,  although  he  once 
valued  them  so  highly  !  and  how  is  Jesus  risen  in  his  esteem  !  Like 
Saul  he  saith  with  his  whole  heart,  "  Yea,  doubtless,  and  I  count  all 
things  but  loss,  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus 
my  Lord ;  for  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things,  and  do 
count  them  but  dung,  that  I  may  win  Christ,  and  be  found  in  him^ 
He  t  aavmg  mine  own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the  law,  but  that 
W  :ich  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  tlie  righteousness  which  is  of 
God  by  faith,"  Philip,  iii.  8,  9.     Once  more  : 

3.  The  person  who  is  justified  before  God  is  also  sanctified. 
These  t*vo  benefits  always  ^xcompany  each  other;  see  1  Cor.  vi. 
U.  "  With  God  there  is  forgiveness,  ihat  he  may  be  feared.  Psalm 
cxxx,  4.  David  saith  also  that  in  the  spirit  of  the  justified  person 
there  is  no  guile.  Psalm  xxxii.  2.  Indeed  faith  alone  justifieth,  but 
it  doth  not  by  itself  prove  that  a  person  is  justified,  unless  he  also 
prove  it  by  good  works.  James  demonstrates  this  by  the  most  for- 
cible arguments :  see  his  epistle,  the  second  chapter,  vrs.  14 — 26. 
It  IS  also  the  nature  of  the  justified  person  to  be  holy.  He  knows, 
he  hates,  and  opposes  the  wicked  inclinations  of  the  old  man  ;  he 
knows  and  loves  the  holy  will  of  God,  and  seeks  to  do  it,  and  for 
this  purpose  surrenders  himself  to  the  Lord  ;  love  to  God  hath  cap- 
tivated his  soul,  and  urges  him  to  conduct  himself  according  to  his 
will,  and  with  justified  Paul  he  strives  to  be  conformed  to  Christ, 
and  to  be  perfect,  PhiUp.  id.  10 — 14. 

If  ye,  who  hear  this,  examine  yourselves  by  it,  ye  will  see  how  it 
is  with  you  in  this  respect ;  if  we  were  not  to  speak  of  justification 
on  the  following  Lord's  day,  we  should  show  you  now  how  many 
are  yet  estranged  from  this  great  benefit,  and  how  wretched  their 
condition  is ;  but  this  we  must  do  on  the  twenty  fourth  Lord's  day. 


484  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNEU 

But  with  respect  to  you,  whose  souls  are  h'lmbled  under  siti,  who 
have  sought  and  found  your  righteousness  in  Christ  only,  and  pur- 
sue after  hoUness,  be  active  and  zealous  in  your  improvement  of  this 
matter.     And  particularly. 

1.  L?t  this  -ruth  be  precious  to  you,  and  do  all  that  in  you  lieth 
to  retain  it  in  the  church  ;  and  therefore  endeavour  to  undei stand  it 
thoroughly,  ani  to  teach  it  to  others  ;  suspect  and  oppose  those  who 
cavil  at  it  in  the  least.  Applicable  are  here  the  words  of  holy  Jude 
in  his  epistle,  the  tiiird  verse,  "  Earnestly  contend  for  the  faith  whxh 
was  once  celivered  to  the  saints."  The  doctrine  of  the  justification 
of  tJjc  sinner,  before  God  is  the  chief  truth  of  Christianity  :  with  this 
article  the  church  either  stands  or  falls.  iSo  doctrine  can  remain 
unviolated,  when  thii.  is  im^.aired.  He  who  doth  not  hold  this  truth 
pure,  cannot  have  a  pure  opinion  of  the  satisfaction  of  Christ,  nor  of 
the  state  of  grace  ;  his  humility,  his  fai;h,  his  hope,  his  charity  and 
sanciihcation  is  vain.  He  cannot  "  serve  God  in  the  Spirit,  while 
he  doth  not  giory  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  hath  confidence  in  the  flesh," 
as  Paul  speaks,  Philip,  iii   3. 

'■  2.  Let  this  truth  possess  and  captivate  your  souls  so,  tl.at  it  may 
ravish  and  transport  you  with  wonder,  joy  and  thanksgiving  to  the 
Loid.  Think  what  hath  been  done  to  you,  that  ye,  who  were  so  vile 
and  guilty,  have  been  raised  up  out  of  the  bottomless  pit  of  misery, 
and  compa'^sed  with  joyful  songs  of  deliverance,  on  account  of  the 
righteousness  of  the  Son  of  God,  by  such  an  exalted  grace,  upon  the 
consenting  act  of  your  faith,  that  ye  might  receive  and  praise  for 
ever  grace  for  grace.  How  should  your  souls  now  be  filled  with  the 
praises  of  God,  with  his  honour  all  the  day  I  Have  ye  not  greater 
reason  than  Hagar,  to  say  with  her,  "  Have  I  here  also  looked  after 
him  that  seeth  mtV'  Gen.  xvi.  13.  See  only  how  David  strove  to 
do  this,  when  he  said,  Psalm  ciii.  1 — 5.  *'  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my 
soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me,  bless  his  holy  name.  Bless  the  Lord, 
O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  his  benefits  ;  who  forgiveth  all  thine 
iniquities;  who  healeth  all  thy  diseases ;  who  crowneth  thee  with 
lovini^-kindness  and  tender  mercies  ;  who  satisficth  thy  mouth  with 
good  thin'^^s  ;  ^o  that  thy  youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagle's." 

3.  Be  and  remain  lowly  and  humble.  Remember  what  ye  were, 
(and  yet  are  in  yourselves,)  surely  a  Magor  missabib,  a  terrour  round 
about  to  yourselves  and  to  all  who  beheld  you  with  a  discerning  eye. 
Ye  know  how  loathsome  and  hateful  ye  were  in  your  own  eyes, 
when  God  first  laid  his  hand  on  you  ;  there  was  none  so  filthy,  so 
wicked  and  damnable  as  ye  were  in  your  own  opinion.  Will  ye  now 
cKalt  yourselves  on  account  of  the  excellency  of  your  revelation  ? 


BEFORE  GOD.      XXII.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  59—61.    48$ 

will  ye  forget  yourselves,  because  ye  are  believe>s,  and  beloved? 
5'  Who  maketh  you  to  differ  ?  and  what  have  ye,  that  ye  have  not 
received  ?  and  if  ye  have  received  it,  why  do  ye  glory,  as  if  ye  had 
tiot  received  it  ?"  thus  I  ask  you  with  Paul,  1  Cor.  iv.  7.  Do  ye  no 
longer  know  what  ye  have  been,  know  then  what  ye  are  now  still, 
through  the  evil  inclinations  of  your  hearts  ;  if  this  w^il  not  humble 
you,  and  render  you  lowly,  the  Lord  will  "  give  you  a  sharp  thorn  in 
your  flesh,  a  messenge;  of  vSatan,  to  buffet  you."  And  why  not  you> 
as  well  as  Paul,  "  that  ye  may  not  exalt  yourselves  ?"  2  Cor.  xii.  7» 
Why  did  the  Lord  v/ithdravv  his  hand,  and  suffer  the  greatest  saints 
to  fall  into  exceedingly  grievous  sins  ?  was  it  not  that  ihey  might 
remain  humble  ? 

4.  When  ye  have  sinned  against  your  ^reat  Benefactor,  Judge 
and  Faiher,  be  grieved  and  sorry  for  it.  Shall  one,  who  hath  beea 
delivered  from  so  great  a  death,  behave  himself  unthankfully,  basely, 
and  like  a  degenerate  child  towaid  him,  who  hath  delivered  him,  and 
who  hath  been  so  inconceivably  kind  to  him  ?  '*  Do  ye  thus  requite 
the  Lord,  O  foohsh  people  and  unwise  ?  is  not  he  thy  Father  that 
hath  bought  thee ;  hath  he  not  made  thee,  and  estaulished  thee  ?" 
thus  speaks  Aloses  lo  Israel,  Dent,  xxxii.  6.  Let  your  hea;ts  bleed 
on  account  of  tiijs,  and  bewail  it  with  biiny  te.  rs,  tike  David  and 
Peter,  Psalm  ii,  and  Mat:,  xxvi.  75.  Do  not  howev^^r  sink  down  in 
discourage nient,  but  seek  pardon  for  y^ur  ill  behaviour  with  humil- 
ity ;  draw  near  unto  God,  as  a  i  ather,  wi:ose  gracious  gift  of  right- 
eousnebS  is  witaouv"  reptntaiice,  and  w'-^o  vmII  never  mere  be  v/roth 
with  you,  as  a  Judge  ;  he  sits  yet  upon  his  throne  of  grace,  to  afford 
grace,  help  and  mercy  in  time  of  need.  Your  Surety  hath  brought 
ia  an  everlasting  righteousness  for  you,  and  hath  been  m?de  right- 
eousness to  you  of  God,  ye  have  stiil  a  tight  to  it,  it  is  imputed  to 
you  entirely,  and  for  ever.  Ke  hath  justly  turned  his  face  away  frcm 
you,  but  ye  have  not  lost  your  title  to  his  righteousness  by  youi  in- 
iquities ;  have  ye  been  unfaithful,  he  remains  faithful  :  therefore  lay 
hold  anew  on  the  ri.u;hteousnc-ss  of  your  Surety  for  reconcili-it-on, 
come  with  it  to  the  throne,  and  plead  upon  "  his  rcsurreciion,  with 
the  answer  of  a  good  conscience,"  as  Peter  requireth,  I  Peter  iii. 
21.  And  rest  not,  until  your  souls  be  really  and  actually  at  peace 
again  with  the  Father. 

5  Conduct  yourselves  worthily  of  the  great  favour,  that  hath  been 
shown  to  you.  This  Paul  enjoins,  when  he  saith,  Philip,  i.  27. 
*'  Only  let  your  conversation  be  as  beccmeth  the  gospel  of  Christ." 
The  benefit  of  justification  is  the  great  theme  of  the  gospel  ;  and 
to  what;  think  ye,  dcth  so  great  a  benefit  oblige  you  ?  doth  it  not  to 


i8&  THE  JUSTIFICATION  OF  THE  SINNER 

fight  against  sin,  to  mortify  it,  to  live  for  God,  according  to  his  will, 
to  be  filled  with  fruits  of  righteousness,  self-denial,  vveanedness  from 
the  world,  to  be  heavenly-minded,  to  burn  with  love  to  God  and  your 
neighbour,  and  that  as  those,  who  belong  to  God  and  Christ  ?  Hear 
what  Paul  saith.  Tit.  ii.  14-  "  Who,"  namely  Christ  Jesus,  «  gave 
himsely  for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  pu- 
rify unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works."  Show 
yourselves  thc:n  to  be  of  "  the  righteous  people,  which  keepeth  the 
truth." 

Thus  will  ye  have  the  testimony,  that  nothing  can  be  laid  to  your 
charge,  because  God  hath  justified  you,  Christ  hath  died  for  you, 
and  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God  to  make  intercession  for  you, 
vntil  he  shall  at  length  appear  on  the  great  day,  to  execute  judg- 
ment, that  he  may  perfect  and  complete  your  whole  state,  by  absolv- 
ing you  in  the  sight  and  hearing  of  the  whole  world  from  every  sin, 
and  punishment,  and  adjudging  you  to  eternal  life,  yea,  even  insta- 
ting y  u  in  it,  when  he  will  say  to  you  from  Matt.  xxv.  34,  "  Come 
ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from 
the  founaation  of  the  world."  Amen, 


(  487  ) 


THE 


DOCTRINE  OF  JUSTIFICATION 


DEFENDED. 


XXIV.  LORD'S  DAY- 


Horn.  iii.  27,  28.  Where  is  boasting  then  ?  it  is  excluded.  By  what 
law  ?  of  works  ?  nay  :  but  by  the  law  of  fairh.  Therefore  we 
conclude,  that  a  man  is  justified  by  faith  without  the  deeds  of 
the  law. 

Q.  62.  Bui  ivhy  cannot  our  good  ivorks  be  the  nvhole^  or  part  of  our 
righteousness  before  God  ? 

Ar  Because,  that  the  righteousness,  which  can  be  approved  of 
before  the  tribunal  of  God,  must  be  absolutely  perfect,  and  in  all  re- 
spects conformable  to  the  divine  law  ;  and  also,  that  our  best  works 
in  this  life,  are  all  imperfect,  and  defiled  with  sin. 

Q,  63.   What !  do  not  our  works  merits   which  yet  God  ivill  reward 
in  this  and  in  a  future  life  ? 
f.  A.  This  reward  is  not  of  merit,  but  of  grace. 
*■    Q.  64.  But  doth  not  this  doctrine  make  mtn  careless  and  firofane? 

A.  By  no  means  :  for  it  is  impossib'e  that  those  who  are  implant* 
ed  into  Chrisi  by  a  true  faith,  should  not  bring  forth  fruits  of  thanks 
fulness. 


w, 


HEN  "  Sarah  saw  the  son  of  Hagar  the  Egyptian,  which  she 
had  born  unto  Abraham,  mucking,  she  said  unto  Abrahaip,  Ca^t  out 


*88    THE  DOCXraNE  OF  JUSTIFICATION  DEFENDED. 

this  bond-woman  and  her  son  ;  for  the  son  of  this  bond-woman  shall 
not  be  heir  with  my  son,  even  with   Isaac."     This  Moses  relates  to 
us,  Gen.  xxi.  9,  10.     Paul  having  respect  to  this,  saith  GaL  iv.  22, 
23.    "  It  is  written  that  Abraham  had  two  sons  ;  the  one  by  a  bond- 
maid, and  tne  other  by  a  fiee  woman.    But  he  who  was  of  the  bond- 
■woman  was  born  of  ihe  fles.- ;  bui   he  of  the  free  voman   was  by 
promise."     When  the  bondwoman  would  have  that  I  er  son  should 
inherit,  and  the  Ud  mocked,   Sarah  said,  "  Cast  out  this  bondwoman 
and  hfcf  son  :  for  the  son  of  this  bondwoman  shall  not  be  heir  with 
my  son,  even  with  Isaac.     These  things   are  an  allegory,   for  these 
are  the  covenants,"   8cc.  saith  the  apostle,  Gal   iv.  24 — 31.     It  ap- 
pears very  plainly,  that  by  these  tv/o  covenants  he  understands,  Ca) 
ihe  covenant  of  works,  the  sum  of  which,  together  with  the  covenant 
of  grace,  which  was  administered  in  a  legal  manner  under  the  Old 
Testament,  was  proposed  at  mount  Sinai,  and  often  exhibited  for  the 
condemnation  of  sinners,  and  in  order  to  urge  them  to  the  Messiah, 
%vho  was  to  come  ;  and  therefore  the  Jews,  the  Jerusalem  of  Paul's 
time,  seeking  their  righteousness  and  the   inheritance  by  this  cove- 
nant, showed  that  they,  being  born  after  the  flesh,  of  the  servile  cove- 
nant of  works,  were  also  servile  with  their  children,  since  they,  like 
Ishmuel,    mocked   and    persecuted  them,   who  were    born  after  the 
Spirit,  (b)  The  second  covenant,  which  Paul  mcntioneth,  is  the  cov- 
enant of  grace,  which  is  established  only  in  promises  ;  and  therefore 
all  who  believe,  the  Jerusalem  that  is  above,  the  true  church,  being 
born  like  Isaac,  after  the  Spirit,  of  this  covenant,  are  free,  and  obtain 
th'i  inheritance  by  promise.     When  now  the  carnal  Jews  sought  a 
right  to  the  inheritance  by  the  servile  covenant  of  works,  through 
their  own   doings,   yea,   when  they  m.ocked  the  free  children,  who 
sought  their  inheritance  by  the  promises,  "  saying  blasphemously 
that  they  said,  Let  us  do  evil,  that  good  may  come,"  Rom.  iii    18. 
We  say,  when  they  did  this,  the  true  Sarah,   the  believing  church, 
after  she   was  become  fruitful,  according  to  Isaiah  liv.  1,  compared 
with  Gal.  iv.    17,   cried  to  her   Abraham,   her  Maker,   the  Lord  of 
hosts,  who  is  her  husband,  '^  Cast  out  this  bondwoman  and  her  son  ; 
for  the  son  of  this  bondwoman  shall  not  be  heir  with  my  son :"  and 
so  ihis  Hagar  vv  as  called   by  the  ford,  "  Loruhama,  not  having  ob- 
tained mercy,  and    Lo-ammi,  not  my  people."  See  Hosca  i.  6,  9. 
And  the  Lord  hath  ordered  that  it  should  be  said  to  her,  "  Thou  art 
not  my  w<fc.    and   I  am  not  thy  husband,"  Rosea  ii.  I.     And  thus 
*'IsiaeI,  which  followed  after  the  law  of  righteousness,   hath  not  at- 
tained to  the  lav/  of  righteousness.  Wherefore  ?  because  they  sought 
it  not  by  faith,   but  as  it  were  by  the  works  of  the  law ;  for  they 


r 


XXIV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  62—64.  489 

stumbled  at  that  stumblingstone."     Thus  Paul  speaks,  Rom     ix% 
31,32. 

How  long  was  the  free  Sarah,  the  true  church  with  her  children 
of  promise,  obliged  to  sigh,  on  account  of  grievous  mockings  and 
persecutions  among  the  Popish  Hagarenes,  who  sought  the  inheri- 
tance by  the  law  !  but  when  the  church  cried,  Cast  out  the  bondwo- 
man with  her  son,  the  Lord  dfove  those  Hagarenes  out  of  the  house 
of  Abraham,  his  church,  in  the  lime  of  the  reformation:  by  which 
means  the  doctrine  of  justification  by  the  promise  through  faith 
without  works,  having  been  brought  to  us,  hath  continued  with  us 
until  now,  and  is  defended,  when  we  are  taught  that  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ,  and  no  other,  is  our  nghteousness  before  God,  in  the 
foregoing  Lord's  diy  ;  and  that  our  works  cannot  be  our  righteous- 
ness before  God,  nor  a  part  of  it,  as  we  are  now  taught  in  this 
Lord's  day,  in  t  \e  sixty-second  question.  These  Hagarenes  set 
themselves  against  this  doctrine,  and  insist  on  a  reward  according  to 
the  merit  of  their  works  ;  but  being  opposed  in  th'^  sixty-third  ques- 
tion, they  show  the  temper  of  Ishmael,  by  mocking  us,  when  they 
blasphemously  say  in  the  sixty-fourth  question,  that  cur  free  doctrine 
makes  men  careless  and  profane. 

In  order  that  we  may  silence  them,  we  will,  agreeably  to  thid 
clue,  illustrate  somewhat  more  particularly  these  three  general  heads  : 

I.  That  our  works  cannot  be  our  righteousness  before  Cod,  nor 
a  part  of  it,  Question  62. 

II.  That  though  Go:l  rewards  the  works  of  his  children,  they  nev- 
ertheless do  not  merit,  Question  G3. 

in  T'lat  our  doctrine  cannot  with  any  propriety  be  reproached, 
as  making  men  careless  and  profane.  Question  64. 

I,  In  order  to  render  it  evident  that  our  works  are  not  our  right- 
eousness before  God  nor  a  part  of  it,  we  must  first  exhibit  the  stale 
of  the  controversy,  and  then  produce  our  arguments  against  the  er- 
roneous opinion. 

In  order  to  represent  the  state  of  the  controversy,  we  must  show 
that  not  only  the  Papists,  but  also  many  others,  both  now  and  of  old 
have  erred  in  this  matter.  AH  men,  being  children  of  the  broken 
covenant  of  works,  are  by  nature  infected  with  this  evil,  that  they 
imagine  that  their  own  works  are  their  righteousness  before  God, 
either  in  whole,  or  in  part. 

We  see  this  in  the  l-eathcns  ;  those  at  least  among  them,  who 
were  m  any  measure  solicitous  to  enjoy  the  favour  of  the  gods, 
sought  the  atone  nent  of  their  sins  in  their  sorrov/  for  their  sins,  in 
their  prayers^  their  wachin.^s  and  sacrifice^,  either  of  beasts  or  men  : 

3  S 


490    THE  DOCTRIxME  OF  JUSTIFICATION  DEFENDED. 

also  in  afflicting  their  liodies,  yea,  they  sometimes  bereaved  them- 
selves oi'  their  lives  ;  they  thought  they  should  obtain  a  right  to  life 
by  their  good  and  virtuous  actions. 

The  carnal  Jews,  tliough  they  had  been  taught  belter  from  the 
word  of  God,  would  nevertheless  seek  their  righteousness  even  of 
old,  in  their  repentance,  sacrifices  and  virtues  ;  ^Mhey  exacted  all 
their  labors,"  Isaiah  Iviii.  3.  See  what  the  apostle  saith  of  them, 
Rom.  ix.  31,  32.  x.  2,  3.  The  Jews  had  declined  to  this  errour  es- 
pecially in  the  time  when  Jesus  came  in  the  ilesi^,  as  appears  stfFi- 
ciently  in  the  writings  of  the  New  Testament.  The  Jews  of  laier 
times,  abandoned  to  hardness  of  heart,  have  smugged  up  this  un- 
suitable notion  exceedingly.  And  indeed  thus,  seeing  that  they  all 
without  exception,  though  ever  so  virtuous,  needed  forgiveness, 
they  have  placed  a  right  to  forgiveness  of  sins  in  repentance,  alms- 
givings, prayers,  a  changing  of  their  name,  (whereby,  as  t!  ey  ima- 
gine, a  Jew  becomes  anotlier  person,  and  is  thus  reckoned  free  fiom 
his  former  guilt,)  a  change  of  work,  patience  under  sufferings,  ob- 
serving the  ecclesiastical  lav/  of  Moses,  as  circumcision,  washings, 
and  sacrifices,  and  especially  on  the  great  day  of  atonement.  Is  there 
aught  else  wanting,  they  think  that  they  sh  11  atone  for  that  by  their 
death,  or  by  suffering  the  pains  of  hell  during  one  year.  They  seek 
a  right  to  eternal  life  in  their  good  works  ;  they  speak  indeed  of 
faith,  but  they  mean  by  it  a  fulfilling  of  the  whole  law.  If  they 
mention  aught  of  the  mercy  of  God,  it  is  without  respect  to  the 
righteousness  of  the  Messiah,  and  it  only  '^fftcts  that  God  accepts 
of  the  penitent,  v;ho  satisfy  for  their  sins.  Doth  any  one  desire  a 
fuller  account  of  these  things,  let  him  read  H.  Witsius's  discourse 
on  justification,  prefixed  to  the  apostolicar  antiquities  of  William 
Cave. 

Is  it  matter  of  wonder,  that  the  Jews,  the  proper  people  of  God, 
are  so  silly,  it  is  matter  of  still  greater  wonder,  that  the  major'ty  of 
Christians,  who  have  a  clearer  discovery  of  the  righteousness  of  faith 
in  the  writings  of  the  apostles,  do,  like  those  who  pre  blind,  g.cpe 
heie  in  the  dark  :  this  apsears  in  all  those,  who  are  not  of  our  com- 
munion, or  of  the  Lutheran. 

The  Socinians,  who  deny  the  righteousness  of  works  according  to 
the  lav/  of  IVloses,  and  say  that  Christ  is  a  new  Lawgiver,  who  hath 
enlarged  and  improved  the  law  of  Moses,  assert  indeed,  that  we  are 
justified  by  faith  ;  but  they  imagine  that  fnith  consists  in  keeping 
the  commandments  of  Christ,  and  in  confiding  that  our  sins  are  forr 
given,  aiid  that  we  will  obtain  eternal  life,  not  through  the  s.stisfac- 
tion  of  Christ,  for  they  do  not  believe  in   that,  but  through   acorn- 


XXIV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  62-*64.  491 

inon  goodness  o:  God,  Vv'ho  promiseth  that  he  \vho  doth  good,  shall  re- 
ceive a  good  reward. 

Tiie  Uemonstranis  pretend  that  Christ  hath  merited  a  genera!  cov- 
enant of  grace  for  all  men,  the  condition  \vhereof  is  faith,  perfected 
by  the  po\ver  of  freewill ;  which  is  indeed  an  ignoble  act,  but  is  nev- 
ertheless considered  and  accepted  of  God  by  a  gracious  estimation,  as 
a  perfect  fulfilment  of  the  whole  law. 

The  Mennonites  unite  either  with  the  Socinians  or  Remonstrants. 
But  as  the  instructor  opposes  more  particularly  the  Papists,  we  must 
declare  their  opinion  also.     Justification  consists,  according  to  them, 
not  in  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  in  granting  a  right  to  life,  but  in 
an  infusion  of  holiness,  by  which  they  obtain  the  forgiveness  of  sins, 
and  a  right  to  life  through  the  merit  of  works.     They  say,  this  jus- 
tification is  either  of  the  ungodly,  by  which  an  ungodly   person   be- 
comes holy  ;  or  of  the  godly,  by   which    a  godly    person   becomes 
more  holy.     Works  are  either   before    regeneration,    and   proceed 
from  the  power  of  freewill,  which  merit  the  justification  of  the  un- 
godly ex  con^ruo,  from  a  certain  fitness  and   suitableness,  that   Cod 
.  should  further  in  some  measure  the  conversion,  that  is,  the  justifica- 
tion of  the  ungodly  :  or  v.orks  are  such  as  are  done    after  regenera- 
tion by  faith  and  grace,  which  a&sist  freewill,  and  merit  the  justifica- 
tion of  the  godly,  ex  condigno,  from  an  equal  value  of  the  work  with 
the  leward.     If  they  have  need   of  any    works   in  consequence   of 
their  coming  short  in  some  measure,  and  have  thus  only  a   part   of 
their  righteousness,  they  will  then  betake  themselves  to  the  supere- 
rogatory works  of  other  saints,  who  v/ere  more  than  perfect,  or  they 
will  supply   the    defect,   either  in   this  life   by   penance,   or   after 
this  life  in  purgatory.     They  speak  also  of  the  merits  of  Christ,  but 
these  do  no  more  than  obtain  that  their  works  merit.     They    allow 
that  they  are  justified  also  by  faith,  but  not  otherwise  than  that  faith 
is  the  root  of  other  virtues,  which  producing  others,  and  therefore  be- 
ing accompanied  with  others,  justifieth  on  account  of  its  superior  ex- 
cellency above  other  virtues,  and  merits  justification. 

In  opposition  to  this,  we  teach  that  the  satisfaction,  righteousness 
and  holiness  of  Christ,  received  by  faith,  is  the  righteousness  of  man 
before  God,  as  we  have  declared  and  proved  on  the  foregoing  Lord's 
day.  We  do  not  deny  that  good  works  are  highly  necessary  to  sal- 
vation, but  we  assert  that  they  cannot  be  our  righteousness  before 
God,  nor  a  part  of  it.  And  therefore  the  controversy  is,  whether  our 
rood  works  can  be  our  righteousness  before  God,  or  a  part  of  it ; 
■which  our  adveri::\r:e  5  aflirm,  but  we  deny. 


492    THE  DOCTRINE  OF  JUSTIFICATION  DEFENDED. 

That  our  good  works  cannot  be  our  righteousness  before  God, 
appears. 

1.  Because  the  holiest  persons,  and  those  who  had  done  the  most 
good  works,  have  with  humihty  acknowledged  that  they  had  no 
righteousness  at  all,  but  sought  their  salvation  only  in  the  mercy  of 
God,  and  in  the  righteousness  of  his  Son.  Job,  who  had  the  testi- 
mony of  God  that  there  was  none  like  him  in  the  earth  for  integrity, 
uprightness,  ft-aring  God  and  eschewing  evil,  said,  chapt.  ix.  2,  S, 
"how  sl'Ould  man  be  just  with  God  ?  If  he  will  contend  with  him, 
he  cannot  answer  him  one  of  a  thousand."  David,  the  man  after 
God's  own  heait,  said,  Psalm  cxxx.  3,  4,  "  if  thou,  Lord,  shouldest 
mark  iniquity,  O  Lord,  who  shall  stand  ?  But  there  is  forgiveness 
with  thee,  that  thou  mayest  be  feared."  He  prayed.  Psalm  cxiiii. 
2,  "  Enter  not  into  judgment  with  thy  servant  ;  for  in  thy  sight 
shall  no  man  living  be  justified  "  Daniel,  the  man  greatly  beloved, 
spoke  also  in  the  same  manner,  chapt.  ix-  18.  "  We  do  not  pre- 
sent oiar  supplications  before  thee  for  our  righteousnesses,  but  for 
thy  great  mercies  "  If  there  ever  was  a  man  that  excelled  in  holi- 
ness, it  was  Paul ;  but  even  he  a'so  *'  sought  not  his  own  righteous- 
ness, which  was  of  the  law,  but  only  the  righteousness  of  Christ, 
which  is  by  faith,"  Gal.  ii,  16.  Phil.  iii.  8,  9.  Surely  if  the  good 
works  of  these  saints  could  have  been  their  righteousness  before 
God,  or  a  part  of  it,  they  would  not  have  spoken  thus. 

2,  The  word  of  God  teacheth  us  that  there  isno  righteonsness  at 
all  in  good  works  for  justification,  since  works  are  in  every  respect 
opposed  to  justification,  as  inconsistent  with  it.  For  (a)  the  judge 
doth  not  "  set  "  works,  but  "  his  Son  forth  to  be  a  propitiation  through 
faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness  for  the  remission  of 
sins,"  Rom.  lii.  25,  26.  (b)  The  person  cired  is  one  who  is  "un- 
godly, who  worketh  not,"  Rom.  iv.  5.  (c)  The  Advocate  doth  not 
plead  the  righteousness  of  the  sinner,  which  is  of  works,  but  the 
ransom,  which  he  himself  hath  found.  Job.  xxxiii.  24.  Isaiah  liii. 
12.  1  John  iii.  I,  2.  (d)  The  sentence  is  pronounced  "freely,  by 
the  grace  of  God,  through  the  redemption  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus," 
Rom.  lii  24.  (e)  Works  are  not  imputed  to  the  sinner,  but  only 
the  righteousness  of  Christ  without  works,  as  Paul  speaks  from  the 
opinion  of  David,  Rom.  iv.  6,  7,  8.  (f)  Faith  which  receives  the 
sentence  of  grace,  is  also  set  in  opposition  to  works.  See  this  in 
the  text. 

3.  Our  righteousness,  which  is  of  works,  cannot  endure  the  judg- 
ment of  God.  In  order  to  show  this,  we  must  prove,  (a)  that  the 
righteousness,  which  shall  endure  the  judgment  of  God,  must  be 


XXIV.  LORD'S  Day.  q.  62—54.  495 

perfect, and  in  every  respect  commensunite  with  the  lav.-  of  God.  This 
is  evident,  because  "  Moses,  describing  the  righteousness  of  the  lav,', 
saith,  The  man  \\hichdoth  those  tilings  shall  live  by  them,"  Rom. 
X.  5.  And  what  are  those  things  ?  the  perfect  love  of  Gcd,  and  of 
our  neighbour,  as  the  Saviour  explains  the  demand  of  the  law,  (VJatt. 
xxii.  37,  38,  39.  We  must  keep  the  law  perfectly,  if  we  shall  have 
the  righteousness  whix-Ji  God  approves,  or  we  are  cursed,  as  Paul 
iiaith,  Gal.  lii.  10  Deut.  xxvii.  6.  This  is  still  more  evident,  if 
VfQ  consider  that  God,  wl^o  will  judge  men  according  to  their  works, 
niubl  judge  them  according  to  the  law  :  '*  The  judgment  of  God  is 
according  to  truth,"  as  Paul  speaks,  Rom-  ii.  2.  Now  he  cannot 
justify  man,  unless  he  have  a  perfect  righieousness,  according-  to  the 
Jaw  ;  for  if  a  man  incur  guilt  in  any  respect  by  his  misconduct, 
'^  God  will  not  hold  him  guiltless,"  as  he  iiaith  himself,  Lxocl.  xxxiv, 
7.  Did  not  the  Lord  himself  show  that  he  would  not  approve  of 
any  righteousness  in  his  judgment,  but  that  which  was  perfectly  con- 
formable to  his  law,  when  he  appointed  his  Son  to  satisfy  his  justice 
according  to  the  complete  demand  of  the  liuv,  "  that  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  us,"  as  Paul  saiih,  Rom.  viii.  3, 
4.  The  matter  of  the  greatest  importance  here,  is,  whether  our 
works  are  so  perfect ;  but  we  will  also  prove  (b)  that  our  works  are 
not  so  perfect,  but  that  "  even  our  best  works  in  this  life  are  all  im- 
perfect, and  defiled  with  sin,"  as  the  catechism  speaks.  Is  not  this 
true  ?  surely  it  is  ;  for  there  is  "not  one  man  wlio  sinneth  not,"  as 
the  word  of  Gcd  repeatedly  testifieth.  See  1  Kings  viii.  46.  Prov. 
XX.  9.  Eccl.  vii,  20.  IVlatt.  vi.  12.  James  iii.  2.  1  John  i.  8, 
and  the  good,  yea,  even  the  best  works  of  men  are  defiled  with  sin, 
and  imperfect  The  prophet  confesseth  this  of  the  church,  of  which 
he  was  a  member,  and  therefore  also  of  himself,  when  he  saith,  Isr- 
iah  Ixiv.  6,  "  We  are  all  as  an  unclean  thing,  and  all  our  righteous- 
nesses are  as  filthy  rags."  This  doth  not  denote  that  they  were  sins  ; 
for  then  they  would  not  be  good  works,  or  righteousnesses,  but  it  de- 
notes that  they  were  imperfect,  and  proceeded  from  a  heart  that  was  not 
perfectly  purified  :  the  old  man  and  the  fiesh  hinders  and  withstands 
the  new  man  and  the  spirit,  "  so  that  he  doth  not  do  what  he  would." 
Thus  speaks  Paul  concerning  believers  and  himself,  Gal.  v.  17. 
Rom.  vii.  14,  26.  The  saints  ''did  not  indeed  defile  their  gar- 
ments," according  to  Hev.  iii.  14,  but  this  doth  not  denote  that  their 
works  were  altogether  pure  and  free  from  filth  ;  for  they  would  roi 
then  have  had  need  "  to  wash  them,  and  make  them  white  in  tiie 
blood  of  the  Lamb,"  Rev  vii.  14,  but  it  only  means,  that  they  did 
not  pollute   themselves  with  the  abominable  conduct,  and   th'^    false 


494.    THE  DOCTRINE  OF  JUSTIFICATION  DEFENDED 

doctrines  of  the  pretended  Christians  of  Sardis.  If  we  will  now  de- 
duce a  conclusion  from  these  premises,  we  will  discover  that  our 
works  cannot  be  our  righteousness  before  God  ;  for  if  our  righteous- 
ness must  be  perfect,  and  if  our  best  works  be  imperfect,  it  is  evident 
that  our  works  cannot  be  our  righteousness  before  Cod,  but  deserve 
that  we  should  be  banished  from  his  presence,  and  that  he  should 
cast  them,  as  the  filih  of  our  holy  things,  in  our  faces. 

Say  not,  the  good  that  is  in  our  good  works  may  be  a  part  of  our 
righteousness,  and  God  may  graciously  reckon  it  as  perfect ;  for  im- 
perfect works  do  not  lessen  our  guilt,  but  increase  it.    He  who  keeps 
the  law  in  part,  by  imperfect  good  works,  sins  also  in  part,  yea,  ren- 
ders himself  altogether   guilty :  "  For   whosnever   shall    keep   the 
whole  law,  and  yet  offend   in  one   point,  is  guilty  of  all,"  as  we  are 
taught,  o'^ames  ii.  10,     Yea,  if  our  good  works  were  a   part   of  our 
righteousness  before  God,  and  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  or   the 
gracious  estimation  of  God  supplied  their  deficiency,  then  would  our 
works  form  an  unsuitable  connexion  with  the  righteousness  of  Christ 
and  the  grace  of  God,  and  we  should  be  justified   partly   by  works 
and  partly  by  grace,  which  is  contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  Paul,  Rom. 
xi.  6,  "  If  it  be   by  grace,  then  is  it  no  more    of  works  ;  otherwise 
grace  is  no  more  grace.     But  if  it  be  of   works,  then  is  it  no  more 
grace  ;  otherwise  work  is  no  more  work."    Further,  our  adversaries 
cannot  say  with    any  reasonableness  that  our  good  works  are  a  part 
of  our  righteousness  and  not  the  whole   of  our   righteousness  ;  for 
they  who  oppose  us  say  that  a  man  can  keep   the  law  of  God   per- 
fectly ;  yea,  the  Papists  will  have  that  a  man  may  be  more  than  per- 
fect by  works  of  supererogation,  and  so  afford  a  portion  of  his  righ- 
teousness to  another.     The  Socinian  thinks  that   he   doth    more  by 
his  obedience  to  the  improved  law  of  Christ,   than   God   demanded 
in  the  law  which   he  gave  by  Closes,     what  remains  then   for   the 
righteousness  of  Christ  to  do  I  nothing  but  to  effect,  as  the  slave  of 
man,  that  his  works  should  merit,  and  that  he  should  do  more  works 
than  Moses  required,  and  that  Christ  should  merit  a    general  grace, 
by  which  man  should  be   enabled  to  will,  not   be    rendered   actually 
willing  to  keep  the  law  of  God  perfectly,  and  that  God  should  esteem 
the  faith  of  man,  a  perfect  observation  of  the  law.     And  thus    they 
place  their  righteousness  altogether  in  works,  and  all  that  is  divine 
must  subserve  this  purpose,  tiiat  the   sinner   may  find  a  righteous- 
ness  in  his  works.     Abominable  I 

4.  Add  to  this,  that  the  works  of  the  sinner  cannot  be  his  righ- 
teousness, because  he  must  have  a  righteousness,  and  be  justified 
by  it,  before  he  can  either  have,  or  do  works  that  are  acceptable   tck 


XXIV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  62—64.  495 

Sod.  For  *'  the  ungodly  who  vorketh  not  is  justified,"  according 
to  the  language  of  Paul,  Rom.  iv.  5.  All  his  works,  as  long  as  his 
person  is  not  justified,  reconciled  to  God,  and  thus  acceptable  to  him, 
aie  disagreeable  to  God  :  "  The  Lord  had  respect  to  Abel  and  to  his 
offering :  but  when  he  had  not  respect  to  Cain,  he  had  not  respect  to 
his  offering  neither,"  Gen.  iv.  4,  5.  With  this  agrees  wise  Solo- 
iTion,  wlien  he  saith,  "  The  sacrifice  of  the  wicked  is  an  abomination 
to  the  Lord  ;  but  the  prayer  of  the  upright  is  his  delight,"  Kom.  xv. 
8.  All  the  good  works  of  men  are  wrought  in  them  by  the  Lord 
through  his  Spirit,  as  we  have  shown  from  Philip  ii.  14.  Eph.  ii.  8» 
Now  God  doth  not  bestow  his  Spirit  for  sanctification,  except  on  ac^ 
count  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ :  he  is  first  made  righteousness 
to  the  sinner,  and  then  sanctification.  See  1  Cor.  i.  30.  For  by 
the  imputation  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ  he  obtains  a  right  to 
life,  and  thus  also  to  all  the  benefits,  and  the  sanctification  of  the  co- 
venant of  grace.  If  the  sinner  must  now  be  justified  before  he  can 
either  have,  or  do  good  >ivorks,  he  cannot  then  obtain  righteousness 
by  his  works  j  for  he  hath  it  before  his  works,  and  his  works  are  the 
fruits  of  it. 

5.  The  doctrine,  that  our  works  are  our  righteousness  before 
God,  is  replete  with  absurdities  For  (a)  "If  righteousness  come 
Oy  the  law,  then  Christ  died  in  vain,"  Gal.  ii.  21.  (b)  Grace,  which 
alone  the  Spirit  of  God  commends  here,  hath  then  no  place,  accord- 
ing to  Rom.  xi.  6.  (c)  We  have  then  no  need  of  forgiveness  of 
sins,  contrary  to  Psalm  xxx.  4.  (d)  *'  If  they  who  are  of  the  law 
be  heirs,  faith  is  made  void,  and  the  promise  made  of  none  effect," 
Rom.  iv.  14.  (e)  Humility,  the  greatest  virtue  of  Christianity,  is 
then  banished  out  of  the  church,  and  pride  and  boasting  of  our 
works  obtain  the  chief  place  in  it,  contrary  to  Rom.  iii.  27,  28.  iv. 
2.  Eph.  ii.  8,  9.  We  see  Luke  xviii.  11,  12,  14,  how  ill  the  Pha- 
risee fare  i  by  boasting  of  his  works,  (f)  If  the  sinner  can  merit 
so  much  by  works,  he  needs  not  then  beg  at  the  throne  of  grace  for 
his  daily  bread,  (g)  No  sinner,  Avho  hath  a  sense  of  his  sins,  and 
sees  that  his  works  are  Hke  filthy  rags,  can  then  have  any  hope 
cf  grace,  but  he  must  abandon  himself  to  despair,  must  hide  him- 
self with  Adam,  run  from  God  with  Cain,  and  flee  to  the  halter  with 
Judas.  Many  of  the  Papists,  seeing  this  absurdity,  have  boine  wit- 
ness to  the  truth,  especially  at  their  death.  The  time  would  fail  me 
if  I  should  speak  of  the  cardinals  Contarene,  l]ellarmine,  Pope  Adri- 
an the  sixth,  the  emperour  C  harlcs  the  fifih,  and  George,  duke  of 
Savoy,  (h)  Suffer  me  to  add  this  also,  if  righteousness  come  by 
works,  then  the  righteousness  of  the  gospel   is   wholly  made  void, 


496    THE  DOC  TRINE  OF  JUSTIFICATION  DEFENDED^ 

the  covenant  of  works  is  established,  the  covenant  of  grace  deniedj 
and  the  doctrine  of  Paul,  in  his  epistles  to  the  Romans  and  Gala* 
tians,  in  which  he  excludes  all  works,  is  enervated,  and  rendered 
absurd. 

Our  adversaries,  in  order  to  disintangle  themselves  Out  of  these 
snares,  which  they  lay  for  themselves,  seek  various  evasions,  and 
say, 

1,  That  the  apostle  excludes  works  done  only  by  the  power  of 
freewill,  without  the  assistance  of  grace,  but  not  those  that  are  done 
by  the  assistance  of  grace.  But  thus  our  adversaries  condemn  them- 
selves, because  they  assert  a  justification  of  the  ungodly  by  the  mer- 
its of  their  works,  which  are  performed  before  regeneration  by  free- 
v/ill,  as  we  have  sliown  before  :  Paul  needed  not  to  exclude  works, 
which  are  done  without  grace,  because  they  are  only  shining  sins, 
and  therefore  evil  v/orks,  which,  as  all  know,  deserve  death.  He 
excludes  all  works  without  any  exception  ;  we  may  not  then  make 
him  speak  of  an  exception,  where  he  himself  is  silent.  Yea,  he  ex* 
eludes  the  works  of  godly  Abraham  and  David,  Rom.  iv.  I — 8. 

2.  They  say  further  that  he  excludes  only  the  works  of  the  cere- 
monial, or  ecciesiv^stical  law  :  but  this  also  is  an  invention,  which  is 
beside  Paul ;  for  he  speaks  of  the  law  that  was  innate  to  the  Gen- 
tiles, Rom.  ii.  14,  15,  which  forbids  stealing  and  adultery,  Rom.  ii. 
21,22,  which  is  opposed  to  circumcision,  Rom.  ii.  25 — 27,  which 
accuseth  and  condemneth  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  discovers  their  sins 
to  them,  Rom.  iii.  9 — 20.  Yea,  he  speaks  of  the  law  which  Abra- 
ham had,  and  which  he  observed,  before  the  ceremonial  or  ecclesi- 
astical law  was  imposed  on  him  by  circumcision  ;  and  nevertheless 
his  works  according  to  the  moral  law  are  also  excluded.  See  Rom. 
iv.  1,  3,  3,  9-^ — 12.  It  is  true,  the  apostle  hath  respect  in  his  epistle 
to  the  Galatians  chiefly  to  the  law  of  the  fleshly  commandment, 
since  he  therein  manfully  opposes  the  false  apostles,  who  taught  jus- 
tification by  works  according  to  that  law  ;  but  he  doth  this,  because 
those  false  aposiles  looked  upon  those  ceremonies,  as  the  demand 
of  the  covenant  of  works,  and  as  the  proper  performances  to  obtain 
life  ;  for  he  alleges,  in  order  to  silence  them,  the  promise  and  the 
threatening  of  the  covenant  of  works.  See  Gal.  iii.  10,  12.  And  he 
doth  this,  in  order  to  show  that  we  cannot  be  justified  by  our  own 
performances,  either  according  to  the  moral,  or  the  ceremonial  law. 
Tiierefore  Vvhen  he  excludes  the  ceremonies  according  to  the  law 
of  commandments,  contained  in  ordinances,  he  then  also  excludes 
Till  kinds  of  works. 

3.  In  this  manner  do  the  Papists  endeavour  to  disentangle  them- 


XXIV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  62—64.  497 

Selves,  but  the  Socinians  pursue  another  nu-thocl.  Christ,  according 
to  them,  preached  a  difterent  doctrine  and  law  from  tl.at  of  Moses. 
Paul,  as  they  say,  excludes  from  justification  works  done  according 
to  the  law  of  Moses,  but  not  works  done  according  to  the  law  of 
Christ,  which  they  call  the  gospel.  The  Remonstrants  diff»;r  not 
much  from  this,  when  they  say  that  we  are  now  justified  by  ihe  faith 
of  the  gospel ;  for  they  consider  faith  as  a  work  done  according  to 
the  law  of  Christ,  containing  every  virtue  according  to  the  commands 
of  the  gospel.  But  faith  is  a  virtue  by  itself,  distinct  fi-om  oiher 
virtues,  and  may  not  be  considered  in  justification  as  a  work,  but  as 
an  instrument  and  hand,  by  which  we  receive  Christ,  and  Paul  ex- 
cludes ail  our  own  works ,  and  besides  this,  we  say,  it  is  not  true 
that  Christ  preached  another,  and  a  new  law,  as  we  will  show  in  the 
proper  place.  God  the  Lord  would  then  have  abrogated  t'  e  law  of 
Moses  ;  but  how  was  this  possble,  when  it  expressed  the  image  of 
God,  and  his  demand  against  the  sinner  ?  he  would  then  have  dis- 
pensed with  his  right,  which  was  impossible,  as  we  have  proved  ^n 
the  fifth  Lord's  day.  If  Christ  had  preached  a  new  law,  with  a  I'e- 
sign,  that  men  should  be  justified  by  works  according  to  that  law, 
then  would  that  law  have  been  "  able  to  give  life,  contrary  lo  the 
promise,"  and  so  "  righteousness  would  come  by  the  law,"  contrary 
to  the  doctrine  of  Paul,  Gal.  iii.  21, 

IL  The  adversaries  of  the  light,   not  willing  to  be  convinced  of 
their  erroneous  opinion,  think  that  they  will  strengthen  themselves 
by  the  word  of  God,  which  promiseth  a  reward  to  works.     We  can- 
not gainsay  this,  verily  "  in  keeping  God's  commandments  there  is 
a  great  reward,"  according  lo  the  language  of  David>  Psalm  xix.  1 1. 
God  will  reward  good  works,  not  only  in  this  life,  but  also  in  that 
Which  is  to  come,   Heb.  vi.   10,  Matt.  vi.  4,  6,  18.     Yea,  the  people 
of  God  encourage  themselves  by  the  consideration  of  the  reward  to 
greater  diligence  in  doing  good  works,     Moses  "  had  respect  to  the 
recompence  of  the   reward,"   Heb.  xi,  26,   but  good  works  do  not 
therefore  merit ;  for  (a)  we  owe  good   works,  and  we  are  naturally 
bound  to  keep  the  law  of  God  perfectly.  How  can  v/e  merit  by  doing 
our  duty?  Hear  V7hat  the  Saviour  saith,  Luke  xvii,  10      "  When  ye 
shall  have  done  all  these  things,  which  are  commanded  you,  say. 
We  are  unprofitable  servants ;  we  have  done  that  which  was  our 
duty  to  do."  (b)  If  good  works  did  merit  that  great  reward,  then  we 
ought  to  do  them  of  and  by  ourselves  ;  for  we  cannot  meiit  by  the 
work  and   assistance  of  another  ;  but  good  works  are  not  of  man 
himself,  but  of  God :  •*  Faith  is  not  of  yourselves  ;  it  is  the  gift  of 
God."  saith  the  apostle,  Eph.  ii.  8.    *'  It  is  God,  v'hich  worketh  in 

n  T 


498     THE  DOCTRINE  OF  JUSTIFICATION  JDEFENDED. 

you  both  to  will  and  to  do,"  so  the  same  man  speaks,  Philip,  ii.  13. 
(c)  Works  oug-ht  to  be  equal  in  value  with  the  reward,  if  they  shall 
merit  the  reward  ;  but  «  the  sufferings  of  this  present  time  are  not 
Avortliy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in 
us,"  Kom.  viii.  18.  2  Cor.  iv.  17.  (d)  Can  good  works  profit  God, 
for  this  is  required  in  order  that  they  may  merit  ?  no  1  "  Can  a  man 
be  profitable  to  God,  as  he  that  is  wise  may  be  profitable  to  himself? 
Is  it  any  pleasure  to  the  Almighty,  that  thou  art  righteous  ?  or  is  it 
gain  to  him,  that  thou  makest  thy  ways  perfect  ?"  These  questions 
are  rightly  asked,  in  oider  to  deny  the  assertions.  Job.  xxii.  2,  3 

Do  evil  works  merit  perdition,  because  they  are  perfectly  evil, 
good  works  do  not  therefore  merit  salvation,  for  they  are  not  per- 
fectly good.  And  if  they  ,vere  perfect,  as  they  might  have  been 
before  the  fall,  tliey  would  laot  however  merit  by  their  worthiness, 
but  only  by  the  promises  of  God  in  the  covenant  of  works. 

How  doth  God  then  reward  works,  if  they  do  not  merit  the  re- 
ward ?  Paul  wiil  declare,  when  he  teacheth  that  there  is  not  only 
*'a  reward  of  debt,"  but  also  «of  grace,"  Rom.  iv.  4.  The  reward 
ol  debt  is  bestowed  on  account  of  the  perfection  of  the  work,  which 
obligeth  the  Lord  to  bestow  on  his  servant  the  promised  recompence: 
the  rev/ard  of  grace  is  bestowed  in  consequence  of  certain  endeav- 
ours, and  a  certain  defective  work,  from  kindness,  and  it  is  of  more 
value  than  the  work,  and  is  therefore  not  merited.  Say  not,  How 
can  this  be  a  reward  ?  for  thou  shouldest  not  inquire  wisely  concern- 
ing this.  Can  any  man  "  buy  without  money,  and  without  price  ?" 
yet  this  is  asserted,  Isaiah  Iv.  I,  there  can  then  be  a  reward  of  gi'ace. 
Although  a  son  owes  his  father  obedience,  his  father  can  nevertheless 
rewjrd  him  from  kindness  ;  especially  if  his  obedience  be  not  per- 
fect, and  nevertheless  sincere.  Thus  also  the  Lord,  when  he  be- 
holds the  sincere  endeavours  of  his  children  to  please  him  by  good, 
although  defective  works,  rewards  them.  Is  the  recompence  of  God 
from  grace  called  a  reward  without  reason  ?  no :  for  as  a  proper  re- 
ward is  bestov/ed  in  cons-  quence  of  a  promise  upon  the  work,  as  it 
encourageth  the  worker,  sweeten<i  the  labour,  and  follows  the  work, 
so  also  is  the  reward  according  to  grace  bestowed. 

They  will  nevertheless  have  that  God  bestows  a  I'eward  of  merit 
'-jnd  debt  upon  works,  since  "  the  few  at  Sardis,  who  had  not  defiled 
*heir  garments,  should  walk  with  the  Saviour  in  white,  because  they 
>vere  worthy,"  Rev.  iii.  4.  But  their  works  were  not  worthy  of  this, 
for  they  should  be  "  washed  and  made  white  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb,"  Rev.  xii.  14.  But  their  persons  were  worthy  of  it,  because 
Lhey  WLTc   "found"  in  Christ,   and  so  were  "perfect  in  him,"  ac- 


XXIV.  LORDS  DAY.  Q.  62—64.  499 

corciin'^-  to  Phil.  ili.  9,     Coll.  ii    10.     And    their  g">o:l  works  were 
evidences  of  this,  since  "  they  had  not  defiled  their  garmcnis,"  and 
so  "  he  will  reward  \?ccordin^  to  works,"  as  evidences  of  a  person's 
good  state,  au;reeahly  to  the  words  of  Clirist  and  of  Paul,   Matt.  xvi. 
27,     Rom.  iii,  6,  S, 

''  Was  Abraham  justified  Uy  works,  when  he  had  offered  Isaac 
h"s  son  upon  theal'.ar?"  as  James  asks,  James  ii.  21.  This  dolh 
not  militate  against  us,  because  it  caniiot  militate  against  Pail,  who 
had  said,  that  '^  Abrnham  was  not  justified  by  works,"  Rom.  iv. 
From  which  nominal  Ciir-stians  took  occasion  to  boast  largely  of 
iheir  fliilh,  and  conceived  that  if  they  had  faith,  it  was  enough,  al- 
though they  had  not  works.  James  sets  himself  against  these,  and 
he  shows  that  faith  without  works  is  not  good,  and  that  it  must  be 
manifested  by  works  :  in  order  to  demonstrate  this  to  them,  he  al- 
leges the  example  of  Abraham,  who  was  justified  by  works,  when 
he  had  offered  hs  son  Isaac.  And  he  speaks  not  therefore  of  the 
justification  of  Abraham  as  a  sinner,  as  Paul  doth,  Rom.  iv.  but  as 
a  godly  person,  by  which  the  Lord  God  declares  of  him  to  his  pos- 
terity, that  he  had  proved  hiniLjelf  to  be  a  righteous  and  godly  per- 
son. Abraham  was  justified  by  faith,  btfore  he  had  offered  his  son; 
for  so  it  is  said  Gen.  xv.  Q.  "  Abraliam  believed  in  the  Lorr*  and  he 
counted  it  to  him  for  righteousness."  But  when  he  had  Jifered  his 
Son,  it  appeared,  and  God  declared  in  consequence  of  his  work,  and 
because  he  feared  him,  that  he  was  righteous  :  the  L'^rd  said,  Gen. 
xxii.  12,  "  For  now  I  knov/  that  thou  fearest  God,  seeing  thou  hast 
not  withheld  thy  Son,  thine  only  son  from  me." 

III.  When  our  adversaries  can  do  no  more,  and  we  have  disarm- 
ed them,  they  betake  themselves  to,  slandering,  reproaching  and 
scoffing,  saying,  that  the  doctrine  of  justification  without  works 
*'  makes  men  careless  and  profane."  But  why  need  we  regard  this? 
it  is  indeed  an  ancient  slander',  which  was  cast  also  upon  Paul's  doc- 
trine of  justincation  in  his  time,  but  which  was  manfully  opposed 
and  repelled  by  him.  Sec  Rom.  iii,  8.  vi.  1.  Our  adversaries 
shov/  thusithat  they  are  in  their  temper  exceedingly  like  Ishmael, 
who  scoffed  at  the  freeborn  Isaac,  who  was  intitled  to  the  inheri- 
tance by  promise.  But  that  we  may  show  them  that  our  doctrine 
cannot  justly  be  reproached  in  this  manner,  we  say  with  the  instruc- 
tor, that  It  doth  not  make  men  careless  and  profane,  but  exceedingly 
serious,  fervent  and  godly  ,  for  no  doctrine  excites  and  influenceth 
more  th;ui  this  to  zealous  godliness,  as  we  will  shov/  at  large  upon 
the  thirty  second  Lord's  day.  We  say  no  more  at  present,  than 
"'  that  it  is  imposs\!)le,  that  those  who  are  implanted  into  Cluist  by 


■jOO    THE  DOCTRINE  OF  JUSTIFICATION  DEFENDED- 

^  true  faith,   should  not  brin^  forth  fiuits  of  thankfuhiess."     It    is 
frequently  declared  in  the  word  ot  God,  that  they  who  are  justified 
are  implanted  and  ingrafted  into  Christ,   and  thus  most   intimately 
united  to  him,  as  the  t^raft  is  united  to  the  stock.     Being  thus   uni- 
ted and  ingrafted  into  him,  "  they  partake  of  the  root  and  fatness  of 
that  olive  tree,"  Rom.  ix.  47.     Is  it  now  possible  that   they   should 
not  bring  forth  fruits  of  thankfulness  I   the  Saviour  saith,  John  xv.  5, 
**  I  am  the  vine,  yc  are  the  branches  ;  he  that  abideth  in  me,   and  I 
in  him,  the  same  bnngeth  forth  much  fruit,"     If  our  doctrine  make 
men  cart  less  and  profane,  then  the  doctrine  of  the  legalist  ought  to 
make  men  exceedingly  zealous  and  godly  ;  but  how   doth  this   ap- 
pear,  when   they  are  so  ignorant,  wanton  and  exceedingly   riotous 
on    their  holydays  so  called,  unless  we  will  acknowledge   that   it  is 
godliness  to  present  God  with  a  certain   number  of  mumbled  pray- 
ers, paternosters,  avemarys,  with  hearing  masses,   abstaining   from 
meats,  neglecting  the  body,  and  1  know  not  what  other  bodily  exer- 
cises ;  but  "  these  things  are  not  of  any  profit,  but  only  a  satisfying 
of  the  flesh,"  Coll.  ii.  23.     And  what  is   the  Socinian  and   Armin- 
ian  godliness.'   is  it  a  "worshipping  oij  God  in  tht  Spirit?"  no,  for 
they  "rejoice  not  in  Christ  Jesus,  but  have  confidence  in  the  flesh." 
See  Phil.  iii.  3.     The  whole  morality  of  those  men  doth  not  exceed 
the  decent  conversation  of  the  most  moral  heathens.     And  how  can 
they  say  that  our  doctrine  renders  men  careless  and  profane  ?   this 
truly  the  doctrine  of  the  Hagarenes,  the  hirelings,  and  the  servants 
who  labor  for  a  reward,  doth,  and  no  other.     Have   not  the    Papists 
proffered    for  sale  indulgences  of  sins,  heaven  and  all  that  is  holy  ? 
what  will  induce  me  to  pursue  sanctification,  if  my  money,  my  skill 
in  reckoning  bodily  exercises  can  obtain  for   me  the  pardon  of  my 
sins,  and  every  other  advantage  ?     Every  legaHst  teaches  that  a  man 
may  be  perfect  in  this  life,  if  he  will  only  exert  his  free  will :  why 
then  ara  not  all  those  men  perfect  ?  is  it  not  because   they  conceive 
that   they  can  offer  to  God  a  righteousness  by  their  own  works   for 
their  sins,  or  that  he  will  wink  at  them,  if  they  only   perform    pen- 
ance, and  amend  their  conduct?     See  to  what  all  this  tends. 


APPLICATION. 

Hearers,  ye  who  attend  to   these   things,   will    any   one  cf  yoii 
contradict  us  ?  and  will  he  not  manifest  his  aversion  from  that  impi- 


XXIV.  LORD'S  DAY.  Q.  62—64.  501 

ous  opinion,  that  a  man  is  justified  by  his  works?  I  believe  he  wil!. 
But  do  ye  know  that  the  most  of  you,  while  they  know  not  what  they 
do,  walk  in  the  paths  of  the  legalist,  and  seek  their  righteousness  by 
their  works;  and  thus  justify  by  their  conduct,  the  false  doctrine  of 
our  adversaries  I  it  is  certain,  that  all  men  are  by  nature  children  of 
the  covenant  of  works,  born  under  the  law,  and  after  the  flesh,  and 
that  they  do  therefore  seek  Hfe  by  their  own  works.  Our  living  un- 
der the  ministration  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  of  the  gO'jpel  and  of 
the  Spirit,  doth  not  translate  us  into  the  state  of  grace,  and  into 
Christ,  and  it  doth  not  furnish  us  with  a  justi^/ing  faith  ;  and  we  can- 
not all  say,  that  "  we  are  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace,"  as 
Paul  speaks  of  believers  only,  Rom.  vi.  14.  Now  it  cannot  be  other- 
wise, but  that  those,  who  are  yet  under  the  covenant  of  works,  under 
the  law,  and  after  the  flesh,  must  work  agreeably  to  their  nature  and 
state,  and  therefore  seek  righteousness  by  works.  Luther,  consid- 
ering tliis,  said  that  every  man  had  a  Popish  priest  in  his  own 
bosom. 

Many  will  not  believe  this  concerning  themselves,  because  they 
are  not  Papists  ;  but  suffer  me  to  discover  it  to  you,  that  ye  may  have 
a  palpable  demonstration  of  it. 

1.  Ye  know  that  ye  have  sinned  against  God,  and  have  deserved 
death  and  hell ;  why  are  ye  not  concerned  and  disturbed  at  this,  and 
fearful  that  the  wrath  of  God  will  light  on  you  every  moment  ?  is  it 
not  because  ye  think  that  ye  are  not  so  ungodly  as  this  and  that  per- 
son,  that  ye  do  many  things,  are  civil,  honest,  devout,  and  zealous 
after  your  manner  ?  have  ye  committed  a  sin,  for  which  your  con- 
science reproves  you,  ye  soothe  yuurselves  with  a  little  sorrow,  and 
with  a  purpose  to  amend  your  conduct,  and  to  repent,  and  upon  this 
ye  bless  yourselves,  and  think  tiiat  God  will  forgive  your  sin.  Is  it 
:}otthen  your  own  doing  and  work,  that  renders  you  so  unconcerned, 
and  banishes  fear  out  of  yonr  hearts  ?  do  Papists  seek  lighteousnes 
by  their  works  otherwise  than  ye  do  ?  Surely  the  Pharisee  did  not 
act  otherwise,  Luke  xviii.  11,  12. 

2.  Ye  ^ay,  we  know  indeed  that  we  must  not  be  justified  by  our 
works,  but  only  by  the  merits  of  Christ.  It  is  true,  ye  know  this, 
but  doth  this  knowledge  influence  you  so,  that  it  effects  a  change  of 
your  condition  and  behaviour,  that  it  drives  you,  from  a  concern  on 
account  of  your  damnable  condition,  out  of  yourselves  to  the  Medi- 
ator' and  that  ye  accept  of  him  and  his  righteousness  truly,  heartily, 
and  frequently,  and  that  to  be  sanctified,  as  well  as  justified  and  sa- 
ved, and  are  ye  urged  thereby  to  "  pursue  after  perfection,"  with 
Paul  ?   Phil.  iii.  7—14.     Is  it  true,  that  ye  are  implanted  into  Christ 


602     THE  DOC  TRINE  OF  JUSTIFICATION  DEFENDED. 

by  a  sincere  faith,  and  that  it  is  impossible  for  you  not  to  bring  foiih 
fruits  of  thankfulness  ;  ye  are  then  surely  justified  by  his  merits. 
But  how  few  are  there,  who  conduct  in  this  nrjannerl  Many  have 
heard  others  speak  concerning  Christ,  and  his  n\erits,  and  they  de- 
pend upon  this,  especially  when  they  are  moral,  civil  and  devout, 
thinking  that  though  their  works  arc  not  perfect,  they  will  not  how- 
ever be  condemned  on  account  of  that  imperfection  ;  that  God  will 
wink  at  their  defects,  as  the  Socinians  talk;  or  that  Christ  v/ ill  sup- 
ply that  Vv'hich  they  lack  with  his  merits  ;  and  so  they  have  u  part  of 
the  righteousness,  as  the  Papists  speak.  In  this  manner  the  Jews 
also  had  "  a  zeal  for  Gocl,  but  not  according  to  knowledge  ^  for  they, 
being  ignorant  of  God's  righteousness,  and  going  about  lo  establish 
their  own  righteousness,  did  not  submit  themselves  lo  the  righteous- 
ness of  God,"  Rom.  x.  2,  3.     Once  more  : 

3.  To  what  doth  it  lead  many  of  you,  that  they  kno\y  that  they 
are  not  justified  by  their  v/orks,  hut  only  by  the  merits  of  Chriit? 
Our  doctrine  doth  not  make  men  careless  and  profane,  but  your 
imagination,  that  ye  are  justified  through  Christ,  although  ye  have 
never  truly  passed  into  him,  nor  been  implanted  into  him,  makys 
you  careless  and  profane.  If  ye  did  not  imagine  this,  but  were  con- 
vinced of  your  damnable  condition,  would  ye  not  be  more  engaged, 
and  bestir  yourselves  more  for  your  souls,  that  ye  might  not  by  ar.y 
means  perish,  but  be  saved  ?  But  now  yc  have  heard  of  Christ  and 
his  merits  only  with  the  hearing  of  the  ear,  therefore  ye  leave  all  to 
him  without  concern,  and  busy  yourselves  only  with  the  things  which 
are  visible,  and  with  your  lusts,  yea,  many  indulge  in  excess  of  riot, 
every  one  for  his  ov/n  ends.  And  when  they  must  die,  then  Christ 
must  save  them,  and  t?ke  them  to  heaven.  But  is  not  this  "  mak- 
ing Christ  a  minister  of  sin?"  Gak  ii.  17,  is  it  not  allowing  the 
inlander  of  our  adversaries,  when  they  rail  at  our  doctrine,  and  say 
that  it  makes  men  careless  and  profane  ?  And  tell  us,  what  is  the 
reason  of  your  reproaching  and  slandering  as  legafists  and  Pharisees, 
persons  v\?ho  separate  themsclver,  fvom  the  world,  and  pursue  a  dif- 
ferent conduct  from  the  generality,  and  v/ho  endeavour  to  shine  as 
^ights  in  a  crooked  and  perverse  generation  ?  is  it  not,  because  their 
behaviour  convinces  you  ?  because  ye  cannot  endure  such  goads  in 
your  sides,  and  such  tliorns  in  your  eyes  ?  because  ye  wish  to  be- 
come careless  and  profane  by  this  doctrine,  at  least,  because  ye  en- 
deavour to  persuade  yourselves  that  men  need  not  be  so  precise  ? 
What  think  ye,  shall  a  person,  who  is  implanted  inte  Christ,-  conduct 
only  hke  a  civil  person,  and  a  man  of  common  morality  ?  ought  not 
the  image  and  Spirit  of  Christ  to  ii'iine  forth  in  him?  And  why  do 


XXIV.  LORD'S  day:  Q.  62— 54.  60S 

ye  look  upon  such  persons  as  hypocrites,  legalists  and  Pharisees '  is 
it  not  not  on  account  of  their  modest  appearance,  their  discourse, 
■which  is  agreeable  to  godly  persons,  and  seasoned  with  salt,  or  their 
decent  behaviour  ?  must  justified  persons  then  conform  themselves 
to  the  world,  be  loose  and  disorderly  ?  Ye  will  say,  No,  but  we  hate 
their  hypocrisy,  and  those  outward  things  are  the  whole  of  their  re- 
ligion and  merit.  How  do  ye  know  this  ?  do  ye  know  the  heart  ? 
no,  but  ye  are  not  willing  that  their  behaviour  should  shame  and 
condemn  you ;  therefore  "judge  not,  that  ye  be  not  judged,"  ac- 
cording to  Matt.  vii.  1. 

Let  each  one  now  inquire  how  he  conducts  with  respect  to  these 
matters.  Do  ye  rest  in  your  own  works  ?  is  your  religious  zeal  the 
foundation  of  your  hope,  and  would  it  appear  strange  to  you,  if  Gcd 
should  not  bestow  heaven  upon  you,  and  do  ye  with  the  Jews  "ex- 
act all  your  labours  ?"  Isaiah  Iviii.  3.  Know  then  that  ye  are  yet 
under  the  law  and  the  broken  covenant  of  works,  and  therefore 
"  under  the  curse,"  Gal.  iii.  10.  And  so  God  "will  not  clear  you," 
according  to  Exod.  xxxiv.  7.  Do  not  flatter  yourselves  with  the 
merits  of  Christ,  for  ye  have  surely  no  interest  in  them  by  an  active 
faith,  which  would  implant  you  into  him  ;  for  ye  would  then  reckon 
all  your  own  doings  as  loss  and  dung  ;  but  ye  are  now  so  exceed- 
ingly pleased  with  your  own  works  ;  and  therefore  yc  are  yet  with- 
out the  ^vjediator  ;  "  Christ  is  becom.e  of  no  effect  to  you,  whosoever 
of  you  are  justified  by  the  law  ;  ye  are  fallen  from  grace,"  Gal.  v. 
4.  When  God  will  enter  into  judgment  with  you,  consider  whether 
all  your  works  will  then  justify  you. 

Do  ye  say.  We  trust  not  in  our  works,  but  in  the  merits  of  Christ 
through  faith  ?  But  are  ye  implanted  into  Christ  by  faith,  and  do  ye 
therefore  bring  forth  fruits  of  thankfulness  ?  this  is  well  ;  but  do  ye 
think  that  works  will  not  avail  to  save  you,  but  faith  only  and  do  ye 
therefore  live  as  ye  list,  ye  are  then  a  reproach  to  our  holy  doctrine, 
and  "  the  name  of  God  is  blasphemed  through  you,  as  it  is  written," 
Rom.  ii.  24.  Your  faiih  is  witliout  works,  is  a  dead  faith,  as  James 
speaks  James  ii.  17.  Verily,  your  outward  ado,  and  saying,  Lord, 
Lord,  will  not  procure  you  an  entrance  into  the  kingdom  of  God  : 
"  Faith  only,  which  worketh  by  love,  avails  in  Christ  Jesus,"  Gal. 
V.  6. 

O  that  ye  would  all  of  you  see  your  misery  with  anxiety,  and  that 
ye  cannot  deliver  yourselves,  that  ye  miglit  cry  out  v/ith  concern, 
"  What  shall  we  do  ?"  as  those  did,  Acts  ii.  37.  Rest  not,  before  ye 
are  in  the  Son  of  God  ;  he  is  willing  and  able  to  bestow  a  sufficient 
righteousness  on  you.     Hear  him  cry  to  you,  I-^aiah  xlv.  22  "Look 


504    THE  DOCTRINE  OF  JUSTIFICATION  DEFENDFD 

unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth :  Surely  shall 
one  say,  In  the  Lord  have  I  righteousness  and  strength :  to  him 
shall  men  come," 

But,  believers,  who,  according  to  your  evidences  exhibited  in  the 
former  Lord's  day,  have  indeed  been  justified  before  God  freely, 
without  works,  by  faith,  and  who  must  still  daily  seek  justification 
and  reconciliation  for  your  daily  offences,  this  leaven  of  working  with 
your  own  righteousness  is  not  wholly  purged  out  of  you,  any  more 
than  your  natural  depravity  is  wholly  rooted  out  of  you  :  for  ye  also 
are  frequently  driven  to  pursue  your  ov/n  righteousness.  This  is 
evident,  (a)  because  ye  often  dare  not  believe,  that  ye  have  gTace, 
and  are  justified,  unless  ye  have  just  such  a  measure  of  holiness.  If 
ye  depended  only  upon  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  would  ye  suffer 
yourselves  to  be  shaken  on  account  of  the  degree  of  your  sanctifica- 
tion  ?  it  vvould  humble  you,  that  ye  had  not  made  a  greater  progress, 
but  it  would  not  cause  you  to  reject  your  state,  since  your  justified 
state  is  not  fouuded  upon  any  measure  of  sanctification,  but  upon  the 
perfect  righteousness  of  the  Mediator,  (b)  It  appears  also  from  this, 
that  a  greater  or  less  progress  in  virtue  causes  you  to  draw  near 
more  or  less  boldly  to  the  throne.  When  ye  have  done  your  duty 
tolerably  well,  ye  will  then  venture  to  draw  near ;  but  when  ye  have 
behaved  improperly,  ye  then  wander  about,  and  seek  for  excuses, 
only  in  order  to  remain  aloof;  and  when  ye  dare  not  neglect  to  draw 
near,  ye  are  possessed  with  a  prejudice,  that  God  will  not  hear  you, 
ye  dare  not  persevere,  but  make  short  work,  and  wait  until  ye  have 
behaved  yourselves  better.  It  is  proper  to  go  to  God,  with  a  holy 
awe,  with  a  deep  humility  and  shame,  on  account  of  your  misbe- 
ha\nour ;  but  to  forbear  altogether  to  draw  near,  or  to  draw  near  on]\- 
with  such  an  unbelieving  trembling,  v/hen  we  have  misbehaved  our- 
selves, and  courageously  only  when  we  have  done  well,  evidences 
that  we  found  our  riglit  to  draw  near,  not  upon  the  righteousness  of 
Christ,  but  on  our  ov.'n  works,  (c)  This  is  also  evident,  because  men 
are  often  urged  to  holiness  by  fear,  as  if  they  stood  near  mount 
Iloreb.  "  The  Lord  hath  delivered  you,  that  ye  might  serve  him 
without  fear,"  Luke  i,  74.  But  a  slavish  fear,  proceeding  from  lli-: 
covenant  of  works,  sometimes  possesses  the  soul,  and  urgeth  her  lu 
do  this  or  tiiat,  as  a  command  of  God,  as  if  every  misdeed  subjected 
lier  to  the  curse.  Yea,  this  renders  the  soul  so  scrupulous  and  anx- 
ious, that  she  sometimes  looks  upon  certain  actions  to  be  sinful 
which. a  Christian  may  perform  freely,  (d)  This  is  still  more  evident 
because  men  sometimes  pursue  holiness,  in  order  to  seek  and  find 
rest  for  rhcir  souls.     'J'hey  have   made  a  breach  in  their  spirits  h\ 


XXIV.  LORD'S  DAt.  Q.  62—64.  505 

3in,  this  they  will  heal,  what  do  they  do  ?  embrace  the  righteousness 
and  atoning  blood  of  Christ,  in  order  to- pacify  their  minds  ?  no,  they 
will  bewail  it,  and  reform,  and  thus  their  work,  and  not  Christ  will 
afford  them  rest.  Further,  (e)  Men  dare  not  embrace  the  proflered 
and  promised  grace^  and  Christ,  because  they  are  not  so  contrite  as 
they  imagine  beside  the  word  of  God  that  they  ought  to  be.  And 
thus  they  attend  to  the^r  ovv-n  doings,  and  not  to  the  perfect  righ- 
teousness of  Christ,  and  they  do  not  surrender  themselves  to  him,  as 
altogether  wretched,  and  stek  his  favour  only.  It  appears  also,  (f) 
because  they  sometimes  become  impatient,  when  they  do  not  obtain 
their  desire,  after  great  earnestntss:  what  doth  this  denote  but 
that  they  imagine,  that  their  earnestness  obliges  God  to  be  favoura- 
ble to  them. 

But  God  doth  hot  approve  of  all  this  selftormenting,  it  dishonours 
Jesus,  it  keeps  the  soul  from  her  rest,  and  confounds  the  grace  and 
i*ighteousness  of  Gud  and  Christ  with  our  unclean  andftlthy  works  : 
"  If  it  be  by  grace,  then  is  it  no  more  of  works  :  otherwise  grace  is 
no  more  grace  :  but  if  it  be  of  works,  then  is  it  no  more  grace  : 
otherwise  work  is  no  more  work;"  thus  speaks  Paul,  Rom.  xi.  6- 
A  Christian  must  part  v/ith  all  that  is  his  own,  he  must  count  it  ioss- 
and  dung,  that  he  may  be  found  wholly  in  Christ :  he  must  be  strip- 
ped, naked  and  bare,  as  one  who  is  dead,  and  he  must  surrender  all 
that  is  his  own  as  one  wha  is  become  a  bankrupt,  that  he  may  be 
completely  clothed  and  enriched  with  the  righteousness  of  Christ 
only.  All  that  he  hath  in  himself  is  but  rags  and  tatters,  it  can  nei- 
ther- clothe  nor  feed  him. 

Shall  a  Christian  then,  as  if  he  were  not  obliged  to  any  duty,  sit 
still,  and  be  careless,  and  think  now  I  have  nothing  to  do,  Christ  hath 
done  all  for  me  ?  No,  this  is  impossible  :  his  looking  off  from  his 
own  righteousness  doth  not  teach  him  thic.  Justification  by  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  alone  through  faith  obligeth  him  to  prize 
this  truth,  to  thank  the  Lord  for  it,  to  conduct  himself  humbly  and 
worthily  of  this  truth  by  a  dilligent  pursuit  of  holiness,  which  we 
have  urged  on  the  foregoing  Lord's  day.  But  we  must  see  that 
we  pursue  sanctification,  as  those  who  are  implanted  into  Christ,  and 
therefore, 

la  As  justified  persons  in  him  by  faith  :  for  how  can  sanclification 
be  acceptable  to  God,  as  long  as  he  hath  aught  against  the  soul  on 
account  of  her  guilt,  by  which  the  Father  is  justly  incensed  against 
her?  How  can  she  draw  near  him  boldly  with  her  sacrifice  of 
thanksgiving,  except  she  be  delivered  from  doubts,  and  able  to  ac- 
Quit  herself ?  We  njust  "draw  near  with  a  true  heart,  and  a  full 
^  3  U 

5 


506    THE  DOCTRINE  OF  JUSTIFICATION  DEFENDED. 

assurance  of  faith,  having  our  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil  con 
science,  and  our  bodies  vvsshed  v/ith  pure  water,"  Heb.  x.  22.  It 
behooves  you  therefore,  believers,  to  labour  first  and  mostly  for  jus- 
tification, in  Older  to  pursue  sanctiPication  therefrom.  Endeavour 
then  to  obtan  an  assurance,  that  ye  have  been  already  justified  be- 
fore God,  as  sinners,  and  have  thus  a  right  to  request  sanctification 
on  account  of  the  merits  of  the  Lord  Jesus:  for  since  he  is  made 
righteousness  to  you,  he  is  also  made  sanctification  to  you,"  as  Paul 
saith,  1  Cor.  i.  30.  Labour  then,  after  any  misbehaviour  in  future? 
not  first  and  mostly  to  amend  your  conduct,  but  to  be  justified  and 
reconciled  to  the  Father,  and  to  make  your  peace  with  him  by  ac- 
cepting your  Surety,  and  pleading  on  your  title  to  him  before  the 
throne,  that  ye  may  pursue  sanctification  from  such  a  justified,  paci- 
fied and  reconciled  mind,  and  thus  begin  your  former  holy  conversa- 
tion anew. 

2.  Pursue  sanctificanon  by  all  means  from,  and  in  union  with 
Christ :  "  Your  life  must  be  hidden  with  Clirist  in  God,"  accordinp- 
toColl.  iii-3  Believers  being  implanted  into  Christ,  bring  fortl 
fruits  of  thankfulness  :  "  Having  been  planted  together  with  him  in 
the  likeness  of  his  death,  we  must  also  be  so  in  the  likeness  of  his 
resurrection,"  as  the  apostle  requireth,  Rom.  vi.  5,  "  Our  good  con- 
versation is  in  Christ,"  as  Peter  saith,  1  Peter  iii.  6.  It  must  neces- 
sarily be  bitier  fruit  that  grows  upon  a  wild  tree,  but  the  fruit  of  ?a 
grafted  tree  is  pleasant.  No  action  can  be  agreeable  to  God  but 
that  Vv'hich  is  performed  in,  and  from  the  union  of  the  soul  with 
Chrst:  "  The  fruits  of  righteousness  are  to  the  praise  and  glory  of 
God  "  only  "  through  Jesus  Christ,"  as  Paul  teacheth,  Philip  i.  11. 
Hear  also  v»'hat  Peter  saith,  1  Peter  ii.  5.  "  Spiritual  sacrifices  are 
acceptable  to  God  through  Jesus  Christ.  Ye  must  therefore  not 
reckon  it  enough  that  ye  have  been  implanted*  into  Christ  by  faith, 
but  ye  must  also  abide  in  and  near  him  continually,  and  opera- 
lively. 

3.  Strive  to  do  all  your  works  by  his  Spirit,  influence,  virtue  and 
power,  as  the  graft  bears  no  fruit,  unless  it  derive  its  sap  from  the 
tree.  As  lonp-  as  we  exert,  fatigue  and  afflict  ourselves  without  the 
Spirit,  in  order  to  do  our  duty,  we  will  never  perform  aught  that  is 
acceptable  to  God  :  «'  Xot  by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  m.y  Spir- 
it, siiiih  the  Lord  of  Hosts,"  Zech.  iv.  6.  We  have  shown  on  the 
eighth  and  ninth  question  how  often  the  soul  labours  In  her  own  and 
not  in  Christ's  strength,  and  thus  mars  her  work.  If  ths  soul 
shall  labour  'ightly,  she  must  abide  near  and  by  her  stock  Jesus, 
bucking  incessantly  through  the  pipes  and  conduits  of  the  prom.iscs 


XXIV.  LORD'S  DAY,  Q.  62—64.  oor 

from  his  fulness,  grace  for  grace.  Therefore  the  Saviour  saith  to 
yon,  John  xv.  4,  5,  "  Abide  in  me,  and  I  in  you.  As  the  branch 
cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself,  except  it  abide  in  the -vine,  no  more  can  yc 
except  ye  abide  in  me.  He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the 
r>ame  bringetb  forth  much  fruit ;  for  without  me  ye  can  do  nothing.*' 

4.  Look  nevertheless  at  the  reward,  in  order  to  encourage  and  an- 
imate you  in  your  work.  The  Lord  offers  a  crown  at  the  end  of 
your  race,  to  urge  and  induce  you  to  strive  for  it,  namely,  an  incor- 
ruptible and  undefiled  inheritance,  which  fadeth  not  away.  When 
"  the  prophet  A5,ariah  said  to  king  Asa,  and  to  all  Judah  and  Benja- 
min, Be  strong,  and  let  not  your  hands  be  weak ;  for  your  work 
shall  be  rewarded  :  Asa  encouraged  himself  with  all  the  people" 
to  effect  a  great  reformation  and  amendment  among  themselves, 
2  Chron.  xvi.  Moses  having  respect  to  the  recompence  of  the  re- 
ward, esteemed  the  reproach  of  Christ  greater  riches  than  the  treas- 
ure in  Egypt,"  Heb.  xi.  26.  The  Lord  is  in  himself  worthy  of  your 
universal  obedience,  faith,  love,  fear  and  service  ;  he  hath  also  de= 
served  all  this  at  your  hands ;  yea,  believers,  ye  are  yourselves 
earnestly  desirous  to  please  him,  and  pleasing  him  is  a  sufficient  re- 
v/ard  for  you.  The  Lord  will  nevertheless  be  abundantly  good  to 
you,  since  he  will  excite  you  by  a  reward.  Improve  this  therefore 
by  stirrmg  yourselves  up  thereby  to  greater  activity  in  your  way. 
Look  not  however  on  the  rewaid,  as  an  equivalent  compensation  of 
your  work,  but  have  respect  to  it,  as  the  fruit  of  the  righteousness 
of  Christ,  which  was  purchased  for  you  by  him,  that  it  should  be 
given  to  you  upon  your  work  ;  for  *' eternal  life  is  the  gift  of  God 
through  Jesus  Christ,"  Rom.  vi.  23. 

Do  ye  lament  that  your  v/ork  is  so  imperfect,  it  doth  not  please 
the  Lord  yet  to  render  you  perfect,  that  ye  may  seek  your  perfec- 
tion in  the  righteousness  of  his  Son.  How  good  is  it  therefore,  that 
it  is  not  necessary  for  you  to  seek  your  righteousness  in  your  works, 
but  in  him,  who  hath  obtained  a  perfect  righteousness  for  you,  ^'  thai 
the  rigiiteousness  of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in  you, '  according  to 
Rom.  viii.  3,  4.  Do  others  scofF  at  you,  on  account  of  your  zeal, 
ivhy  should  ye  regard  what  the  despicable  slaves,  the  Ilagarenes  and 
Ishmaelitcs  do  ?  Look  upon  it  to  be  of  greater  importance  what  your 
Saviour  sailh.  Matt.  v.  11,  12.  "Blessed  arc  ye,  when  men  shall 
revile  you,  and  shall  say  all  manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely  for 
my  sake.  Rejoice  and  be  exceedingly  glad,  for  great  i»  your  reward 
in  heaven  ;  fo-  so  persecuted  they  the  prophets  which  were  before 
you."  Say  not  with  Asaph,  Psalm  Ixxiii.  13,  14.  "Verily  I  have 
cleansed  my  heart  in  vain,  and  washedjmy  hands  in  innocency  ;  for 


508    THE  DOCTRINE  OF  JUSTIFICATION  DEFENtiEl^. 

till  the  day  long  have  I  been  plagued,  and  chastened  every  morn^ 
ing."  For  would  ye,  though  ye  should  suffer  ever  so  much,  ex- 
change your  condition  with  an  ungodly  person,  who  enjoys  the  great- 
est property  ?  although  it  were  even  so,  that  the  condition  of  the 
ungodly  was  better  in  this  life  than  that  of  the  godly,  will  not  their 
comforts  end  with  their  lives,  and  will  not  their  sorrows  begin  then? 
But  how  will  it  be  then  with  you  ?  Peter  informs  you;  1  Peter  v.  4. 
"  When  the  chief  shepherd  shall  appear,  then  shall  ye  receive  a 
crown  of  glory,  that  fadeth  not  away."  Amen» 


END  OP  THE  FIRST  VOLVMM. 


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